^K 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


THE 


UNSEALED  BOOK; 


OR, 


SEQUEL  TO  "MISUNDERSTOOD." 


BY 


E.    J.    BEACH. 


The  Philosophy  of  Life  I    How  grand  the  theme 

Which  long  has  been  a  sealed  book  I     Reason 

And  science,  come  hither  and  lend  your  aid  I 

And  you,  kind  friends,  of  every  land  and  tongue, 

Come  help  unfold  and  view  the  lettered  scroll  — 

Angel  emblem  —  from  virliich  God's  thoujjhts  are  sung. 

In  realms  of  space  electric  wires  go  forth, 

Reaching  unto  the  suns  and  starry  spheres, 

From  whence  millions  of  spirit-tongues  respond 

Unto  our  weak  and  trembling  notes  forlorn. 

Then  let  this  glorious,  happy  theme,  loved  ones, 

Our  aspiration,  inspiration  be, 

From  this  day  forth  forevermore  I     Stand  firm 

For  truth  and  right.     "  And  if  the  God  within 

Says, '  Well  done,'  what  are  other  gods  to  thee  ?  " 


BOSTON: 
PUBLISHED  BY  THE  AUTHOR 

1877 


>     »  »  i 

I     > 

'  J  J  >  i  J 


Copyright,  1877, 
By  EMILY  J.  BEACH. 


c     *  «     ® 

t    •;  c  c  i   c 


(.*.».    t  t  t    1 


t.   t  1.       *^     •' 
It*.      %   1.  ' 


BEDICATIOK. 


THE  GOOD,  THE  BRAVE,  THE  TRUE, 

IN   PALACE   OR   COT, 

TO  YOU  I  DEDICATE  THIS  VOLUME ; 

AND    ESPECIALLY   TO  TOIT, 

MY  SOUTHERN  FRIENDS, 

BENEATH  WHOSE   SUNNY  SKIES  IT  SPRANG  FORTH; 

SINCERELY  THANKING  YOU  FOR  YOUR 

KINDNESS  AND  SYMPATHY, 

AND   WITH   HEARTY  GOOD  WISHES  FOR  YOUR  WELFARE 

AND  LABORS  OF  lOYS. 


PREFATORY  NOTE 

BY  THE  AUTHOK. 


Since  my  first  half-fledged  work  went  forth,  I  have  been  im- 
pelled by  a  power  not  mine  own,  and  which  I  would  fain  have 
resisted,  —  more  especially  because  of  the  cool  and  disfavorable 
reception  of  "  Misunderstood,"  —  to  again  enlist  in  the  battle  for 
spiritual  liberty,  or  physical  death,  the  latter  being  much  more  in 
accordance  with  my  feelings  and  desires  at  the  time. 

Many,  doubtless,  who  read  these  pages,  will  be  surprised  to  find 
their  sentiments  —  expressed  in  their  own  language,  and  addressed 
personally  to  me  —  here  made  public.  To  such  I  will  say:  You 
cannot  be  more  dumbfounded  and  chagrined  than  was  I,  when 
the  character  of  this  work  first  dawned  upon  my  clouded  vision ; 
at  a  time,  too,  when  I  would  fain  have  consigned  my  first  offshoot 
to  the  fate  of  oblivion,  —  myself  following  in  train,  —  so  far,  at 
least,  as  earth  and  earthly  hopes  prevailed. 

The  only  apology  which  I  can  render  is,  that  it  was  so  ordained 
by  the  "  powers  that  be  " ;  at  the  same  time,  I  pledge  my  word  of 
honor  never  to  reveal  the  identity  of  those  whose  writings  are 
thus  made  public;  they  will,  therefore,  be  recognized  only  by 
themselves,  unless  it  be  through  their  own  instrumentality. 

I  will  further  say,  as  evidence  of  spiritual  power  and  agency, 
that  I  was  taken  unawares,  as  it  were,  and  the  work  which  has 
been  accomplished  through  me  was  unpremeditated,  although  a 
faint  prediction  of  the  same,  which  I  could  not  credit  at  the  time, 
had  been  given.  From  this  it  will  be  seen  that  no  preparatory 
study  or  research  had  been  made.  Yet,  notwithstanding  all  this, 
less  than  a  year  has  elapsed  since  the  first  pages  of  '•  Misunder- 
stood "  were  penned  ;  and  the  contents  of  both  works  have  since 


451^75 


b  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

been  dictated  and  compiled,  with  the  exception  of  twelve  short 
pieces,  —  the  last  ones  in  this  book,  the  very  last  being  my  very 
first. 

Also,  that  nearly  three  months  intervened  between  the  finale  of 
the  first  and  the  commencement  of  the  second  volumes,  so  that 
the  time  actually  employed  in  their  construction  could  not  have 
exceeded  nine  months ;  and  included  in  these  were  many  days  in 
which  I  was  unable  to  write  at  all,  others  in  which  I  could  only 
devote  a  comparatively  small  portion  of  the  day  to  my  labors. 

I  say  this  not  in  egotism,  taking  no  credit  unto  myself,  except  a 
conformity,  so  far  as  lay  in  my  power,  to  the  will  and  direction  of 
the  controlling  agencies,  whose  work  this  is,  and  to  whom,  by  and 
through  a  still  higher  power,  is  all  the  credit  due. 

April,  1876. 


I  would  here  state  that,  owiug  to  the  depression  in  monetary 
and  business  matters,  I  have  been  unable  to  proceed  with  the  pub- 
lication of  this  work  as  I  desired;  nearly  six  months  having 
already  elapsed  since  the  completion  of  the  manuscript.  How 
long  a  period  will  now  intervene  before  it  can  be  brought  before 
the  public,  I  am  unable  to  say. 

E.  J.  BEACH. 

October,  1870. 


INTEODUCTION 

BY  CHAKLES  A.  FEAZIER. 


A  GEATEFUL  and  appreciative  public  should  always  look  to  the  good 
effects  likely  to  be  produced  by  the  production  of  a  book,  looking 
to  the  good  or  evil  it  may  disseminate  in  the  community  in  a  well- 
being  state  of  mind  or  character,  such  as  may  have  been  seen 
through  the  dim  visage  of  nature's  own  dimensions  of  intellect 
and  capacity  for  good  or  evil  communications,  of  rare  habits  and 
influence,  subject  to  be  controlled  by  superficial  exhalations  of 
neglectful  subterfuges  of  usefulness,  to  be  conducted  through  the 
mediumistic  powers  of  those  whose  business  it  is  to  procure  abso- 
lution for  the  want  of  those  requisites  that  go  far  to  make  tho 
man  after  God's  own  image,  —  stamped  and  rectified  to  know,  and 
serve  out  his  destiny  according  to  the  acquirements  of  the  philo- 
sophical mind  inculcated  by  a  due  obedience  to  those  moral  pre- 
cepts which  govern  all  men  in  their  actions,  to  serve  God  accord- 
ing to  the  wisdom  they  possess,  —  notwithstanding  the  opposition 
they  meet  in  their  daily  walks  through  life. 

A  great  many  men  think  of  the  persecutions  others,  who  have 
gone  on  before  them,  have  been  subjected  to  ;  rejoicing  in  the 
good  fight  they  made,  almost  unconsciously  to  themselves,  through 
the  mediumistic  powers  uhich  they  possessed,  rendering  them  ca- 
pable of  being  influenced  imperceptibly  in  various  ways  and  at 
sundries  time,  when  their  thoughts  were  at  peace  with  God  and 
man.  At  the  same  time,  almost  unknown  to  themselves  in  conse- 
quence of  the  absence  of  all  thought  of  sclfislmess  or  gain  of 
this  world's  goods,  and  not  likely  to  be  abandoned  at  every  turn 
of  the  road  they  may  encounter  in  passing  over  tho  highways 
of  the  glorious  Redeemer,  who  vouchsafed  redemption  to  man  in 

7 


8  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

immortality  of  life,  commensurate  with  his  state  of  being  appre- 
ciative of  the  good  qualities  which  bind  man's  allegiance  to  his 
Maker  in  all  time  to  come,  let  the  consequences  be  what  they 
may  in  the  sense  understood  by  all  those  of  an  inquiring  mind 
and  close  observance  of  the  things  of  this  life,  which  go  far  to  de- 
molish the  misunderstanding  of  things  rare  and  beautiful,  —  al- 
though quite  unintelligible  to  the  ordinary  mind,  and  looked  upon 
in  a  general  way  as  superlative  in  the  aggressive  cases,  —  under- 
stood by  those  who  have  been  enjoying  a  forward  move  towards 
the  annihilation  of  the  dead  issues  of  this  mortal  life,  void  of 
results  of  knowledge,  and  void  of  proper  intelligence  to  appre- 
ciate those  good  qualities  of  heart  that  are  continually  —  and  im- 
perceptibly as  it  were  —  moving  on  and  forward  to  aggrandize  and 
buoy  up  the  fallen  spirits  of  this  world,  and  lead  and  teach  them 
their  duties  to  each  other  and  their  Maker. 

Also,  by  and  through  the  hidden  paths  of  Spiritualism,  as  pro- 
claimed and  promulgated  by  those  who  preceded   us  thousands  of 
years  ago,  —  the  great  first  teachers,  —  of  the  mysteries  of  the 
hidden  spirit  land,  peopled  by  all  who  have  gone  on  and  are  con- 
tinually retracing  the  path  to  visit,  instruct,  and  warn  us  of  the 
profligacy  of  the  times  we  live  in,  the  final  destruction  of  the 
earthly  tenement  we  inhabit,  and  the  promise  of  a  glorious  spir- 
itual one,  when  we  pass  over  as  one  of  God's  good  and  faithful 
subjects  who  obeyed  his  laws  and  precepts  understandingly,  ac- 
cording to  the  wisdom  obtained  from  his  instruments  of  power 
and  knowledge  to  carry  on  the  work  of  man's  salvation,  by  means 
of  the  spiritual  communion  based  on  correct  knowledge  of  the 
divine  precepts  taught  by  our  Saviour  and  his  apostles,  and  now 
being  verified  by  the  visits  of  the  gi;eat  and  good  angelic  spirits, 
sent  to  us  for  our  enlightenment.     The  profound  theologian  may 
have  much  cause  for  rejoicing  at  the  mode  of  spiritual  communi- 
cations if  he  will  but  examine  the  mysteries  of  the  spirit  world  in 
a  spiritual  and  godly  mood,  throwing  away  his  earthly  vanity, 
and  inhale  the  true  and  beautiful  spiritual  truths  that  are  being 
brought  forward  by  an  enlightened  spirit,  to  search  the  truths 
of  God's  holy  works,  and  prepare  man  for  the  coming  millen- 
nium. 

This  book  treats  of  facts  in  simplicity,  diversity,  and  benevo- 
lence. It  leads  you  on  in  an  every-day  style  of  life,  taking  up  all 
stations  in  the  line  of  march.     It  moves  forward,  gathering  a 


THE    UNSEALED    BOOK.  9 

little  here,  a  fact  there,,  and  a  solemn  truth  beyond.  Sagacity 
and  Love  rule  the  roast,  and  Good  Feeling  does  the  basting.  The 
instruction  to  be  gained  from  a  perusal  of  its  pages,  in  a  general 
way,  will  amply  repay  the  time  spent  in  its  perusal.  Awkward- 
ness is  shown  up  by  bad  predicaments  caused  thereby.  Selfish- 
ness and  want  of  charity  come  in  in  an  ungodly  air  to  suit. 
Love  and  benevolence  shine  brightly  over  its  pages,  while  Christ 
and  the  spiritual  communion  throw  their  mantle  over  the  sins  of 
the  world,  and  call  on  man  to  resurrect,  regenerate,  and  reinform 
himself  to  meet  the  exigencies  of  the  times ;  and  to  rehabiliment 
himself  to  push  forward  the  great  and  glorious  work  of  reform 
and  good-will  to  man  in  the  highest,  leaving  no  stone  unturned 
that  may  be  brought  up  to  help  aid  and  finish  his  spiritual  tem- 
ple, whereby  he  may  appear  in  "  due  form  "  when  he  throws  off 
this  mortal  earthly  coil,  and  habiliments  himself  with  the  new 
spiritual  form  of  righteousness,  in  order  to  enjoy  all  that  is  gveat, 
good,  and  eternal  in  the  heavens,  where  no  more  jealousies,  :iiixic- 
ties,  or  bad  influences  will  enter  his  mind  to  bring  down  sorrow 
and  destruction  as  seen,  felt,  and  prostrated  poor  fallen  man  in 
this  wicked  home  on  earth. 

CHARLES  A.  FRAZIER. 

Charlotte,  N.  C,  April  26,  1876. 


THE   UNSEALED    BOOK. 


"  I  WAS  in  the  spirit  on  the  Lord's  day,  and  heard  behind  me  a 
great  voice,  as  of  a  trumpet ; 

"  Saying,  I  am  alpha  and  omega,  the  first  and  the  last ;  and, 
What  thou  seest  write  in  a  book." 

I  SAT  me  down  in  silence,  friends,  within 
My  room  so  bright  with  birds,  pictures,  and  flow'rs  ; 
A  voice  within  me  said.  Write  down  thy  thoughts  ; 
And  more  will  come.     I  was  not  told  to  write 
A  book,  and  why?     The  veil  was  not  taken 
Away  ;  one  corner  only  had  been  raised  ; 
I  could  see  not  far  — just  a  few  steps  ia 
Advance  —  no  more.     Had  one  unto  me  said, 
"  A  book  thou  shalt  write  ;  a  few  months  hence  thou 
Shalt  behold  hundreds  of  pages  which  have 
By  thee  been  penned,"  should  I  have  then  believed 
This  bold  assertion  ?     Not  I ;  my  faith  was 
Not  equal  thereto.     They  forced  me  not  my 
Powers  beyond,  but  kindly,  gently,  as  days 
And  weeks  went  by,  they  guided  and  directed 
Mo  in  waking  hours,  and  their  night-watch  kept. 
Had  I,  then,  naught  to  do?     "Alas  !  dear  friends, 
No  heaven-born  genius,  as  ye  simply  deemed, 
Stirred  in  my  childish  heart  the  love  of  song ; 
'T  was  feeling,  finely  organized  perhaps 
To  keen  perceptions  of  the  beautiful. 
The  great  in  art  or  nature,  sight  or  sound. 
Books  were  not  my  playfellows.     Trees,  and  flowers, 

u 


12  THE    UNSEALED   BOOK. 

And  murmuring  rivulets,  and  merry  birds, 

And  painted  insects,  all  were  books  to  me, 

And  beautiful  language,  from  the  dawn  of  sense 

Familiar  to  my  heart."     My  early  days 

And  years  had  been  so  filled  with  toil  and  strife. 

There  seemed  no  time  for  aught  beside  the  daily 

Round  of  homely  duties  ;  my  school  I  loved. 

Yet  even  there  sore  trials  did  await. 

What  others  learned  in  "  double  quick  "  scarce  came   . 

At  all  to  me  ;  my  mental  powers  seemed  dull 

And  thick,  my  faculties  all  fast  asleep. 

"Was  this  a  fault  of  mine,  think  ye?     But  stay  — 

It  matters  not — we  have  not  now  the  time 

To  trace  the  cause.     Come  forward  then  with  me, 

For  now,  thank  God  !   the  veil  is  lifted  higher ; 

Ask  ye  how  came  it  so  ?  was  it  mine  own 

Strivings  alone  ?     Was  it  by  dint  of  study,  or  by 

Earth's  discipline  harsh  ?     Nay,  my  friends,  not  these. 

"  Adversity,  like  the  pale  wreath  of  snow. 

Falls  on  the  youthful  heart,  a  seeming  load, — 

But  seeming  such,  for  after  certain  space 

Continuing  there,  and  if  it  finds  the  soil 

Not  wholly  sterile,  to  the  frozen  mass 

Of  its  own  latent  virtues,  it  imparts 

A  fertiliziug  warmth,  that  penetrates 

The  surface  of  obdurate  worldliness. 

Then  from  the  barren  waste  (no  longer  such) 

Uprising  a  thousand  amaranthine  flowers 

'Whose  fragrance  smells  of  heaven.'     Desires  chastened, 

Enlarged  afiections,  tender  charities. 

Long  siifF'ring  mercy,  and  the  snowdrop  buds 

Of  heavenly  meekness,  — these,  and  thousands  more 

As  beautiful,  as  kindly,  are  called  forth. 

Adversity  !  beneath  thy  fost'ring  shade." 

Hast  thou  this  done  for  me.  Adversity? 

In  part  thou  hast,  not  all ;  sorrows,  so  deep 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  13 

Their  forces  did  mth  thine  unite.     And  then? 

Then,  my  friends,  the  angels  came;  beautiful 

Angels,  heavenly  messengers.     How  they  love  ! 

No  heaven  before  my  soul  had  known  compared 

With  this.     To  me  they  were  both  meat  and  drink  ; 

Or,  rather,  they  unto  my  soul  did  give 

The  same.     Each  day  came  manna,  just  enough  ; 

No  portion  of  the  same  left  over  till 

The  morrow.     Why  did  they  give  this  heavenly 

Food  ?  and  was  it  sent  for  me  alone  ?  nay, 

All  who  gathered  once  received  ;  it  hath  been 

So,  is  now,  yea,  ever  shall  be  so,  for 

Thus  God's  angels  pure  do  teach  :  He  is  "the 

Same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  forever." 

So  are  the  laws  He  doth  create. 

What  came  they  for,  these  messengers  of  love  ? 

What  came  they  for  in  olden  time  but  to 

Fulfil  the  purpose  of  the  gi'cat  "  I  am  "  ? 

We  're  told  his  purposes  will  ripen  fast, 

Unfolding  every  hour,  and  so  they  do. 

Yet  hours  and  days,  yea,  years  unnumbered  in 

The  flight  of  time,  may  come  and  go,  and  still 

The  cry  will  be  the  same  ;  for  us  below. 

More  light,  more  love,  we  pray,  to  guide  our  souls 

Above.     Ask  ye,  my  friends,  what  these  blest  ones 

Have  done  for  me?     One  thing  ye  know,  they  have 

Me  helped  a  book  to  ^vi'ite,  and  were  I  now 

To  pen  my  thoughts  as  fast  as  they  do  come, 

Adding  thereto  those  which  came  long  before, 

A  score  of  books  methinks  would  not  them  all 

Contain.     In  dreams  and  visions  oft  they  come, 

And  yet  I  sensed  their  presence  not  until  I 

"  Saw  shadowed  out,  '  as  in  a  glass  revealed,' 

Things  uncreated  yet,  that  were  to  be" 

But  of  my  book,  — I  call  it  mine,  —  they  gave 


14  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

Me  leave,  to  them,  I  do  ascribe  the  power, — 

Indeed,  the  almost  all  in  all ;  and  yet, 

Should  I  their  names  attach,  who  would  believe? 

If  "might  makes  right,"  then  I  shall  get  what  they 

Cannot  receive  ;  at  least  not  from  the  mass 

Of  worldly  minds.     They  from  a  higher  source 

Will  reap  the  "golden  sheaves,"  while  I  shall  reap  — 

I  scarce  know  what ;  doubtless  from  some, 

Merits  increased  an  hundred-fold  beyond 

What  my  frail  powers  command  ;  from  other  some 

Contempt  and  scorn,  derision  undisguised. 

Coolness  from  those  whom  I  have  deemed  true  friends ; 

These  things  I  do  expect,  yea,  many  such. 

Shall  my  soul  in  consequence  be  cast  down  ? 

A  still  small  voice  within  replies,  "  Thy  judge 

Is  the  great  God  that  formed  all  things,  therefore 

Let  not  mercy  and  truth  forsake  thee  ;  bind 

Them  about  thy  neck  ;  write  them  upon  the 

Table  of  thine  heart ;  so  shalt  thou  find 

Favor  and  good  understanding  in  the 

Sight  of  God  and  man." 

The  said  book  I  have 
Not  yet  seen.     Five  hundred  copies  of  the 
Work  have  been  published — so  they  say — and  some 
I  know  are  out.     It  looks  very  like  / 
Were  out  —  it  can't  be  in  the  cold  I  'm  sure, 
For  this  is  a  bright,  sunny  land  ;  but  Weeks 
Go  by,  and  no  books  "ha  I — I  do  nae  ken  why," 
Unless  it  may  be  my  patience  to  try. 
I  've  written  until  I  'm  tired  of  the  name 
Of  "Colby  and  Rich,"  place  ever  the  same  ; 
In  reply,  they  say,  "The  books  have  been  sent." 
I  begin  to  fear  they  are  lost,  or  lent. 
Some  people  would  say  it  mattered  not  which ; 
I  think,  however,  it  dependeth  much — 
I  know  not  why  this  rhyme  came  in  here,  I 
Almost  fear  'tis  out  of  place.     Things  come  not 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  15 

Quickly  or  quite  clear  to  my  mind  this  day, 
My  thoughts  are  wand'ring  far  away.     I  feel 
Somewhat  as  David  did,  when  from  his  son 
Absalom  he  fled,  saying, 

"  Lord,  how  are  they  increased  that  trouble  me !  many  are  they 
that  rise  up  against  me. 

"  Many  there  be  which  say  of  my  soul,  there  is  no  help  for  him 
in  God. 

"  But  thou,  0  Lord,  art  a  shield  for  me ;  my  glory,  and  the 
lifter  up  of  mine  head. 

"  I  cried  unto  the  Lord  with  my  voice,  and  he  heard  me  out  of 
his  holy  hill.  I  laid  me  down  and  slept ;  I  awaked ;  for  the  Lord 
sustained  me. 

"  I  will  not  be  afraid  of  ten  thousands  of  people  that  have  set 
themselves  against  me  round  about." 

I  can  say  like  him,  I  am  not  afraid  ; 
Like  him,  also,  I  have  long  since  fled.     Where? 
From  my  dearly  loved  home.     Why?    I  was  to 
Them  a  sealed  book,  no  page  of  which  they  wished 
To  con.     I  could  not  lie  upon  the  shelf, 
A  useless,  worthless  incumbrance.     Will  they 
My  book  treat  this  same  way,  I  wonder  ?     Once 
I  was  asked  how  soon  the  productions  of 
My  brain  would  be  before  the  public  (or 
Words  to  that  efiect) .     My  reply  might  have 
Seemed  rather  ungracious.     It  was  this  ;  "I 
Don't  think  they  will  be  forced  upon  my  friends 
Any  more  than  my  sentiments  have  been." 
Again,  it  may  seem  to  some  (who  would  rather 
Have  never  seen  the  voliune)  that  it  has 
Almost  been  forced  upon  them.     To  my  friends, 
Who  feel  thus,  I  would  say.  Pray  do  not  read 
One  lino  of  the  same  ;  you  have  only  to 
Lay  the  book  on  a  shelf,  or,  if  it  please 
You  as  well,  you  may  lend  it  to  those  who 
Will  read ;  I  give  you  my  full  consent. 


16  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

"As  cold  waters  to  a  thirsty  soul,  so  is  good  news  from  a  far 
country."  , 

Some  letters  at  last !     Kejoice,  O  my  heart, 
At  the  glad  surprise  !     So  long  have  ye  been 
In  wending  your  way,  I  began  to  think  — 
I  hardly  know  what ;  but  if  friends  are  as 
Scarce  as  their  letters  have  been  for  the  past 
Two  weeks,  some  new  ones  I  must  try  to  win, 
Although  but  a  little  time  ago  I 
Asked  for  none  but  the  "  tried  and  true."     No 
New  ones  can  their  places  fill,  yet  I  fear  they 
Mostly,  if  not  all,  have  "  gang  a  gla  "  ! 

"  A  friend  in  need  is  a  friend  indeed  "  ;  and 
Such,  darling,  were  you,  —  or  was  your  letter 
Kind.     And  so  you  have  read  our  book.     Do  you 
Care  if  here  I  just  write  down  what  you  said 
Of  it?    I  know,  dear  one,  you  say  what  you 
Mean,  and  mean  what  you  say,  as  well.     If  all 
As  kindly  do  receive  ;  — but  I  know  they 
Won't,  so  never  mind.     I  '11  not  give  your  name, 
But  the  language  of  your  heart,  —  respecting 
The  work,  I  mean.     Your  kind  words  endearing, 
My  lone  heart  cheering,  none  other  may  know. 

She  writes  thus :  — 

"  I  hardly  know  what  to  think  ;  that  some  power  beside  your 
own  controlled  your  efforts,  I  am  aware.  I  do  not  feel  prepared 
to  judge ;  but  I  must  say  that  I  like  what  seems  to  be  your  own 
writings  the  best.  Your  talk  about  the  angels  as  ministering 
spirits  is  very  fine,  —  something  that  we  all  believe  in.  Some  of 
your  writings,  I  think,  are  beautiful,  and  some  I  do  not  like." 

It  may  not  be  amiss  to  here  state  that  this  dear  friend  has 
never  had  a  favorable  opportunity  of  investigating  the  Spiritual 
Philosophy,  or  had  occasion,  until  quite  recently,  to  give  the  sub- 
ject a  thought.  When  she  says  that  she  likes  what  seem  to  be  my 
own  writings  the  best  (she  does  not  know  that  I  could  not  com- 
pile a  verse  of  the  same),  I  comprehend  her  meaning,  and  am  only 


THE   UNSEAIiED   BOOK.  17 

surprised  that  slie  deals  so  charitably  with  the  parts  she  does  not 
like.  With  only  the  experience  which  she  has  had,  I  fear  I  should 
not  have  done  as  well  in  her  place. 

"  Quench  not  the  spirit,"  sister. 

"  Despise  not  prophesyings. 

"  Prove  all  things ;  liold  fast  that  wMcli  is  good. 

"  And  the  very  God  of  peace  sanctify  you  wholly ;  and  I  pray 
God  your  whole  spirit  and  soul  and  body  be  preserved  blame-, 
less." 

What  is  this  ?     Ah,  sister,  you  too  have  been 

Reading  our  book  !  and  that 's  your  excuse 

For  not  writing  sooner ;  our  sentiments 

You  will  somewhat  indorse,  I  am  sure,  for 

You,  dear  one,  have  been  long  in  the  "  way  "  ;  that 

"Way,  at  times,  led  through  brambles  and  briers  ; 

But  you  turned  not  back,  though  they  pierced  you  sore, 

Though  "  life's  sunny  morn  with  its  golden  dreams  " 

Was  soon  clouded  o'er.     May  there  not  be  yet 

A  noontide  of  glory  awaiting  thee, 

Which  shall  make  you  feel  "  there 's  a  glad  refrain," 

E'en  before  you  reach  "  the  other  side  "  ? 

A  prayer  I  find  from  thee,  an  aspiration  pure,  in  language 
clear,  concise,  like  jonr  own  dear  self :  "  Heaven  bless  you  for  the 
fearless  utterances  of  your  book  I"  Thank  you,  dear.  May 
Heaven  bless  you  also,  and  cause  your  sorrows  to  "  melt  away  as 
waters  which  run  continually."  If  we  faint  not,  we  shall  in  due 
time  praise  the  Lord  and  say,  "Thou  hast  given  a  banner  to  thera 
that  fear  thee,  that  it  may  be  displayed  because  of  the  truth." 

This  is  to  me  a  strange  work  :  the  contents 
Of  my  letters  to  place  in  so  public 
A  light.     I  hope,  kind  spirits,  'twill  all  be 
Right.     For  myself  and  you  I  have  no  fears  ; 
But  how  will  it  be  with  these,  our  friends,  whose 
Sentiments  you  do  make  me  pen  ?    Will 
They  the  same  kindly  receive  ?     And  will  they 


18  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

See  themselves  as  we  do  see  them  ? 

"If  not, 
They  sure  no  fault  can  find,  as  we 
No  single  name  shall  give.     If  they  their  own 
Words  recognize,  our  opinion,  friendly 
Advice  as  well,  comes  in  gratis,  you  see. 
Therefore  go  forward,  though  you  do  sometimes 
Walk  in  paths  you  have  not  known." 

"Truly,  my 
Soul  waiteth  upon  God,"  but  not  in  vain. 
I  could  seem,  dear  friends,  no  further  to  go, 
For  the  thoughts  which  came  seemed  only  mine  own. 
And  these  were  not  fraught  with  faith  quite  secure ; 
So  I  laid  myself  down  to  rest  awhile. 
A  good  book  had  I,  but  I  read  not  much. 
You  may  think  it  strange,  as  did  I  at  first ; 
The  ones  who  control  me,  their  ivorh  to  doy 
Are  unwilling  for  me  much  else  to  know 
In  regard  to  the  truths  which  they  alone 
Would  impart.     My  mind  to  them,  they  say,  is 
Like  a  slate.     They  wish  it  kept  translucent, 
Clear,  for  their  especial  benefit.     They 
Then  can  give  their  own  ideas,  unmixed  with 
Those  I  might  glean  from  other  sources. 
They  told  me  not  this  until  our  first  book 
Had  been  written  ;  not  in  ivords,  I  mean  ;  but 
While  this  same  work  was  progressing,  I  had 
Not  the  slightest  inclination  to  read, 
Except  it  were,  in  occasional  spare 
Moments,  some  seemingly  trivial  thing : 
I  do  not  except  the  Bible,  of  course  ; 
That  always  came  in.     Their  object  in  not 
Telling  me  this  in  advance  I  am  now 
Beginning  to  see.     Their  ways  have  me  shown 
That  they  consider  "  experience  the 
Best  teacher." 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  19 

As  I  said  before,  T  laid  me  down  to  rest ;  but  as  my  body  was 
not  weary,  they  gave  my  spirit  rest  instead.  A  voice  cried  ont, 
"  Your  books  have  come."  Good  news,  indeed!  For  near  three 
weeks  they  had  been  on  the  road.  What  else  have  you,  a  letter? 
Ah,  only  a  bill;  but  why  should  I  siiy  onli/?  It  surely  is  lou^,^ 
enough,  and  were  it  not  paid,  or  mostly,  would  give  me  no  peace 
by  night  or  by  day.  If  our  books  do  sell  well,  I  shall  not  get 
back,  on  this  first  edition,  nearly  so  much  as  I  have  paid  out  in 
"ready  cash,"  say  naught  of  my  time,  the  use  of  which,  in  this 
same  way,  has  made  me  to  feel  an  outcast  from  home.  But  never 
mind,  here  comes  a  "  real  for  true  "  letter.  Come  read  it  with  me  ; 
just  only  your  part,  I  mean. 

"  You  are  a  sly  puss,  are  n't  you,  to  send  your  friends  a  great 
big  book,  and  that  the  first  intimation  they  had  that  such  a  thing 
was  contemplated  ?  " 

And  this  is  all  ?  "  Flee  as  a  bird  to  your  mountain  "  ;  for  we 
know  thy  works,  that  thou  art  neither  cold  nor  hot.  We  forbear 
to  say  more,  since  the  writer  of  the  above  simple  lines  commenced 
investigating  the  truths  which  the  book  is  designed  to  teach,  years 
before  the  book  itself  was  in  contemplation,  or  the  writer  thereof 
had  learned  one  letter  of  the  spiritual  alphabet. 

Can  "  faith  without  works  "  save  ? 


Another  letter  contains  the  following:  "To  me  the  book  is 
quite  interesting,  and  I  should  judge  it  would  be  very  startlinfj  to 
some.  I  think  it  is  a  great  pity  that  it  should  have  been  misrep- 
resented about  your  brothers,  as  with  those  who  are  accquainted 
with  your  family,  it  weakens  the  work  very  much ;  but  perhaj^s 
you  can  explain  it  all."     (Controlling  spirit.) 

"The  writer  of  the  foregoing  seems  to  be  laboring  under  the 
impression  that  the  author  of  the  book  and  the  subject  of  it  are 
one  and  the  same  person.  This  is  a  slight  mistake,  yet  one  which 
surprises  us,  as  all  who  are  intimately  acquainted  with  the  author 
and  her  family  must  be  aware  that  it  would  be  a  very  incorrect 
record  of  her  life ;  not  only  so,  but  that  for  her  to  have  placed  lierself 
in  the  exalted  position  and  Pharisaical  light  of  the  character  rei")- 
rcsented,  would  have  been  an  impossibility,  nor  would  it  corre- 
spond to  one  act  or  sentiment  of  her  life.  There  are,  in  the  book, 
some  instances  in  which,  with  the  aid  of  her  poetic  guide,  she  has 
given  expression  to  her  own  thoughts  and  feelings,  examples  of 


20  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

which  may  be  found  on  the  two  hundred  and  sixty-sixth  and  three 
hundred  and  sixty-ninth  pages.  These,  and  all  similar  ones,  as  a 
careful  reader  will  readily  perceive,  bear  no  connection  with  the 
'  medium,'  who  is  a  creature  of  the  imagination,  while  the  spirit- 
ual experiences  are  actual  facts  (some  of  which  came  under  the 
writer's  personal  observation),  truths,  which  we  trust  will  be 
received  as  such.  We  will  furthermore  say.  Our  book  has  a  '  Pref- 
ace,' which  explains  this,  but  which  was  purposely  omitted  in 
our  first  edition.  While  we  regret  that  there  is  any  misconcep- 
tion in  the  matter,  we  shall  feel  grateful  if  those  things  which  we 
consider  of  minor  importance  are  the  only  ones  which  are  misun- 
derstood." 

"  The  Lord  is  my  shepherd,  I  shall  not  want." 

I  have,  indeed,  had  a  surprise  this  day.  A  clergyman  of  this 
place  (whom  I  have  only  met  once)  has  sent,  for  my  perusal,  a 
criticism  on  our  work,  which  he  has  written  with  a  view  to  have 
published  in  the  "  Observer."     It  runs  as  follows :  — 

'•  It  was  our  privilege,  a  few  days  since,  to  peruse  a  new  book, 
one,  too,  of  a  unique  and  uncommon  character.  The  work  pos- 
sesses a  rare  combination  of  ease  and  dignity,  simplicity  and  ele- 
gance, truth  and  sublimity.  It  elevates  the  attentive  reader  above 
this  mundane  sphere,  and  leads  him  by  the  still  waters  and  among 
the  green  pastures  of  the  spirit  land.  Lessons  of  the  purest 
friendship  and  love,  maxims  of  wisdom  for  promotion  of  health 
and  progress  in  knowledge  and  usefulness,  and  illustrations  of 
Scripture  truth  and  practical  morality,  are  scattered  with  rich  pro- 
fusion and  admirable  taste  through  this  little  volume.  The  '  Mis- 
understood '  (for  such  is  its  name)  will  be  read  by  many  seekers 
after  light  in  order  to  a  more  agreeable  development  of  spiritual 
power  and  social  affections.  That  the  author,  who  has  come  to 
reside  in  our  midst,  may  be  rewarded  for  the  honest  labor  here 
evinced  on  every  page  to  impress  the  truth  and  guard  the  unsus- 
pecting and  the  innocent  against  the  alluring  influences  of  evil 
spirits  and  wicked  associates,  is  the  earnest  and  fervent  wish  of 


We  know  not  how  to  express  our  gratitude  for  this  unlooked- 
for  kindness,  not  the  least  of  which  is  the  endorsement  of  the 
sentiments  expressed  in  "  Misunderstood,"  which  we  had  hardly 
dared  hope  would  be  as  well  understood  by  any  one  individual. 

"  The  words  of  wise  men  are  heard  in  quiet  more  than  the  cry 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  21 

of  him  that  ruleth  among  fools."  Friends,  "Wisdom  is  the  prin- 
cipal thing;  therefore  get  wisdom;  where  thou  goest  it  shall  lead 
thee ;  when  thou  sleepest  it  shall  keep  thee  ;  and  when  thou 
awakest,  it  shall  talk  with  thee."  It  is  our  earnest  prayer  that 
we  may  be  permitted  to  say  with  the  Psalmist,  "  I  liave  taught 
thee  in  the  way  of  wisdom  and  have  led  thee  in  right  paths.'''' 

The  morn  was  bright  and  fair.     By  your  ad^'ice, 

Kind  spirit  friends,  I  took  some  books,  just 

Only  two,  and  sallied  forth  to  see  if 

I  could  find  a  purchaser  (for  ' 

Nary  a  penny  had  I  to  buy  for 

A  letter  a  stamp.     For  three  weeks'  board  I 

Too  was  in  debt) .     As  you  promised  that  me 

You  would  attend,  the  result  of  the  same 

You  full  well  know  ;  if  a  lesson  thou  hast 

In  connection  with  this,  pray  give  it  me 

Now. 

"  We  have,  indeed,  many  things  to  say ; 
The  result  we  know  was  not  what  j^ou  hoped 
It  might  be,  but  more  was  accomplished  in 
Another  way,  a  way  you  dreamed  not  of. 
Through  your  converse  with  those  you  met,  we  gained 
An  insight  of  their  character,  and  that 
Shall  be  our  theme  to-day.     We  saw  thee  speak 
To  one,  and  give  the  book  into  her  hand  ; 
But  when  she  learned  of  what  the  same  did  treat, 
She  quickly  did  release,  as  if  afraid 
Of  it  and  you.     Her  mind  we  saw  was  not 
At  ease,  nor  should  we  be  surprised  if,  had 
All  been  clearly  revealed,  we  might  have  seen 
'  Thoughts  that  are  almost  murmurs  whisper  low, 
Stinging  comparisons,  suggestions  sad, 
Of  what  I  am,  and  Avhat  I  might  have  been. 
This  earth  so  wide  and  glorious  !     I  fast  bound 
(A  human  lichen)  to  one  narrow  spot, 
A  sickly,  worthless  weed  !     Such  brave,  bright  spirits 


22  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

Starring  the  nether  sphere,  and  I,  lone  wretch, 
Cut  ofi"  from  oral  intercourse  with  all ! 
The  day  far  spent,  and  O,  how  little  known  ! 
The  night  at  hand,  alas  !  and  nothing  done  ; 
And  neither  '  word,  nor  knowledge,  nor  device, 
Nor  wisdom,  in  the  grave  whereto  I  go.' 

And  Uttle  Annie,  —  what  will  Annie  be  ? 

The  fair-haired  prattler  !  she,  with  matron  airs, 

Who  gravely  lectures  her  rebellious  doll ; 

*  Annie  will  be  papa's  own  darling  child, 

Dear  papa's  blessing ;  ah  !  she  tells  the  truth  ; 

The  pretty  mocking-bird  with  his  borrowed  notes 

Tells  the  sweet  truth.     Already,  is  she  not 

Thy  darling  child?     Thy  blessing  she  will  prove.' 

Another  one  with  wistful  lonfjin^;  held 
Our  book,  (herself  a  medium,)  she  one 
Must  have  we  think  ;  her  life  has  been  not  all 
She  strove  to  have  it  be,  but,  '  nothing  dies, — 
Nothing  is  lost  or  wholly  perisheth 
That  God  hath  called  good,  and  given  to  man, 
Worth  his  immortal  keeping.'     Cheer  up,  dear 
Friend,  take  courage,  and  thus  say,  'Let  them  go ; 
Let  them  pass  from  me  like  a  troubled  dream ; 
The  things  of  this  world  ;  bitter  apples  all. 
Like  those  of  the  Dead  Sea,  that  mock  the  eye 
With  outward  fairness,  ashes  at  the  core. 
Let  tills  frail  body  perish  day  by  day, 
And  to  the  dust  go  down  and  be  resolved 
Thereunto, —  earth  to  earth  ;  but  I  shall  live 
In  spiritual  identity  unchanged. 
And  take  with  me,  where  happy  spirits  dwell. 
All  thoughts,  desires,  affections,  memories. 
Sealed  with  the  heavenly  stamp,  and  set  apart 
(Made  worthy)  for  duration  infinite.' 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  23 

"We  saw  thee  chatting  for  a  while  with  one 

Whose  jewelled  fingers,  gay  attire,  bespoke 

For  her  more  time  and  thought  bestowed  upon 

The  casement  which  enshrined  the  worldly  mind, 

Than  on  that  mind  itself.     She  did  possess 

Some  curiosity,  as  did  the  friend 

Who  had  dropped  in,  and  made  an  efibrt  thee 

To  quiz.     'Alas,  poor  maid  !  an  arduous  task  was 

Thine  ;  a  hopeless  labor,  recommencing  still, 

Like  theirs,  the  unhappy  sisters,  doomed  to  pour 

Eternal  streams  in  jars  that  never  fill.' 

A  book  so  *  rich  in  the  truest  Tvisdom '  would 

Be  considered  naught  but  trash  by  them,  we  fear ; 

K  they  read  at  all,  selecting  such  as 

'Might  shock  fastidious  taste,  less  pure  than  wise: 

The  love  of  God  and  man,  and  holy  nature 

Breathed  like  the  fragrance  of  a  precious  gum 

From  consecrated  censer,'  hallowing 

The  same,  their  cloudy  vision  would  not  perceive. 

A  third  person  we  saw  enter  the  room, 

And  then  as  quickly  disappear,  as  if — 

Well,  we  had  no  chance  to  read  his  mind,  and 

Will  not  of  him  give  our  opinion  ;  we 

Will  say  just  here  instead,  in  a  general 

Way,  'All's  not  well  when  hearts,  that  should  be 

Open  as  the  day,  shrink  from  inspection.' 

We  saw  thee  again,  and  we  saw  standing 

Near,  a  grief-stricken  mother,  so  lonely 

And  sad.     Her  treasures,  alas  !  from  her  sight 

Had  fled  ;  '  had  gone  from  this  strange  world  of  ours, 

No  more  to  gather  its  thorns  Avith  its  flowers ; 

No  more  to  linger  where  sunbeams  must  fade ; 

Where  on  all  beauty  death's  fingers  are  laid.' 

We  fain  would  thee  cheer,  thou  sorrowing  one. 

Have  you  not  heard,  and  read,  and  learned,  how  God 


24  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

'  Tempers  the  wind  to  the  shorn  lamb '  ?     So  thine, 
Helpless  and  tender  as  they  are,  his  eye 
Still  watcheth,  and  his  guardian  care  protects. 
They  went  in  the  sunshine  of  their  bright  young 
Days,  in  a  fairer  home  they  will  expand  ; 
And  never  like  thee,  kind  mother,  will  grow 
'  Weary  with  mingling  life's  bitter  and  sweet ; 
"Weary  with  parting  and  never  to  meet ; 
Weary  with  sowing  and  never  to  reap  ; 
Weary  with  labor  and  welcoming  sleep.' 
We  saw  and  read  much  of  the  deep  within, 
The  well  of  this  mother's  heart ;  much,  I  mean, 
For  the  short  space  of  time  allotted  us  ; 
We  think  again  thou  'It  meet  with  her,  and  she 
In  time  become  much  changed ;  if  so,  she  will 
Say  you  have  done  it.     Was  it  wisely  done  ? 
'Wisely  and  well,  they  say  who  look  thereon 
With  unimpassioned  eye  ;  cool,  clear,  undimmed 
By  moisture  such  as  memory  gathers  oft 
In  mine,  while  gazing  on  the  things  that  are 
Not  Tvdth  the  hallowed  past,  the  loved,  lost, 
Associated  as  those  I  now  retrace 
With  tender  sadness.' 

The  scene  is  changed,  and 
We  behold  thee  entering  a  mansion 
Fair.     The  o-rounds  about  are  laid  with  care,  and 


o 


Show  that  flowers  have  in  their  season  been  reared. 
And  were  doubtless  cherished  tenderly  by 
Her  who  welcomes  thee  kindly,  although  to 
Her  thou  art  a  stranger,  —  as  are  the  truths 
She  gladly  would  investigate,  —  and  yet 
She  scarce  had  dare.     And  why?  is  she  not  a 
Free  moral  agent  ?     Yes  ;  but  then,  she  hath 
An  husband  ;  she  hath  also  a  loving 
Spirit-friend,  who  reads  her  soul  and  gives 
Us  the  following  as  her  sentiments  ; 
'  Nature  in  me  hath  still  her  worshipper. 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  2) 

And  in  my  soul  her  mighty  spirit  still 

Awakes  sweet  music,  tones  and  symphonies 

Struck  by  the  Master-hand  from  every  chord. 

But  prodigal  of  feeling  she  withholds 

The  glorious  power  to  pour  its  fulness  out ; 

And  in  mid-song  I  falter,  faint  at  heai-t 

With  consciousness  that  every  feeble  note 

But  yields  to  the  awakening  harmony 

A  weak  response, —  a  trembling  echo  still.' 

The  husband  comes,  and  what  says  he  ?    His  talk 

Is  very  fine,  he  believes  that  spirits 

With  mortals  do  communicate,  that  it  is  by 

Or  through  the  laws  of  nature  which  at  the 

Present  time  are  little  understood  ;  thinks 

It  an  established  fact,  and  one  which  will 

Eventually  be  recognized  as  such 

Throughout  the  world.     He  seemingly  doth  say, 

*  We  live,  God  wot,  in  an  improving  age, 
And  our  old  world,  if  it  last  long  enough, 
Will  reach  perfection.     Lo  !  conceptions  vast 
Germ  not  alone  in  patriot  statesman's  mind 

Or  great  philanthropist's.'     What  good,  we  pray, 
Will  from  these  conceptions  vast  accrue,  if 
2^one  dare  publicly  acknowledge  the  same? 

We  saw 
Upon  thy  brow  a  shade  of  disappointment 
When  he  refused  our  book  to  buy.     We  saw, 
Also,  he  gladly  would  have  read  the  same,  but, 
If  he  bought  it,  his  wife  might  read  it  too  ; 
It  might  do  her  no  harm ;  still,  her  readings 
He  chose  to  first  select,  and  then  peruse. 

*  It  is  not  onoe  an  age  two  hearts  are  set 
So  well  in  unison  that  not  a  note 

Jars  in  their  music  ;  but  a  skilful  hand 
Slurs  lightly  over  the  discordant  tones, 


26  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

And  wakens  only  the  full  force  of  those 

That  sound  in  concord.     Happy,  happy  those 

Who  thus  perform  the  grand  concerto,  —  Life!* 

Unknown  to  you,  unknown  to  us  the  one 

You  accidentally  did  meet  upon 

The  stair.     We  were  amused  at  his  attempt 

To  place  before  you  'gi*eat  /and  little  uJ 

A  medium  he  claimed  to  be,  but  said 

The  spirits  all  who  did  appear  he  would 

Vouchsafe  to  swallow ;  your  brave  retort  he 

Will  not  quite  forget.     (I  replied  that  he 

]\Iight  swallow  all  that  the  book  contained,  but 

I  would  guarantee  him  that  it  would  take 

Some  time  to  digest  the  same.)     He  is  young 

In  knowledge,  also  in  years,  we  trust  not 

*  Past  hope  of  e'er  producing  flower  or  bud.' 

We  would  advise  a  change  right  soon,  lest  he, 

Through  his  oivn  negligence  alone,  be  classed 

With  plants  full  blown,  that  nothing  lack  —  but  roots. 

Another  one  of  riper  years  we  saw ; 

He  seemed  not  lacking  in  intelligence, 

And  had  a  kindly  sympathetic  mien ; 

We  think,  too,  he  was  well  read  ;  if  asked  lohy 

Such  and  such  things  were,  if  he  knew  he  would 

You  tell ;  if  not,  acknowledge  that  as  well ; 

Not  say,  like  some,  '  They  were,  because  they  were.' 

We  would  give  him  all  credit  due,  while  still 

We  say,  '  There  are  more  things  in  heaven  and  earth 

Than  are  dreamt  of  in  thy  philosophy  .^ " 

Friends,  not  a  book  did  I  sell.     "Well !  well !  well ! 
All 's  doubtless  as  it  should  be  ;  were  my  will 
The  rule  of  action,  strange  results  no  doubt 
Would  shock  the  rational  community. 
But  farewell  to  the  glaring  world  without ; 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  27 

The  glaring,  bustling,  noisy,  parclied-up  world ! 

And  hail  repose  and  verdure,  turf  and  flo^Yers, 

Also  my  home  o'er  whose  dear  quiet  walls 

Brood  the  twin  doves.  Holiness  and  Peace." 

I  must  not  expect  ripe  fruit  to-day  from 

Seed  sown  but  as  yesterday  ;  to-morrow 

And  to-morrow  may  pass  ere  I  perceive 

The  tiny  bud  which  first  must  bloom,  and  then 

Its  petals  shed,  before  the  fruit  appear. 

Then  more  to-morrows  still  must  pass,  yes,  bright 

Sunny  ones,  to  ripen  and  make  fit  for 

Use  the  fruit  which  may  and  will  in  time 

Be  gathered  home  ;  I  must  with  patience  wait : 

It  is  not  all  who  having  eyes  can  see, 

Or  having  ears  can  hear.     This  truth  we  learn 

From  e very-day  experience.     "How  it  frets 

One's  soul  to  be  associated  with  these 

Deaf  hearers,  blind  beholders  !     Frets  one  more 

That  all  the  outward  graces  they  possess. 

As  it  appears  unblemished.     So  we're  led 

To  utter  freely  what  we  warmly  feel ; 

And  then  it  proves  that  all  the  wires  and  pipes 

That  should  connnunicate  'twixt  eyes  and  ears 

And  the  indwelling  soul,  to  empty  cells 

Lead  only,  sending  back  response  nor  sound. 

Say  with  a  friend  we  contemplate  some  scene 

Of  natural  loveliness,  from  which  the  heart 

Drinks  in  its  fill  of  deep  admiring  joy  ; 

And  are  our  voices  mute?     O,  no,  wo  turn 

(Perhaps  with  glistening  eyes)  and  our  full  heart 

Pom'  out  in  rapt'rous  accents,  broken  words 

Such  as  require  no  answer,  but  by  speech 

As  little  measm'cd,  or  that  best  reply. 

Feeling's  true  eloquence,  a  speaking  look: 

But  other  answer  awaits  us  ;  for  the  friend 

(O  heaven,  that  there  are  such  !)  with  a  calm  smile 

Of  sweet  no-meaning  gently  answers,  'Yes, 


28  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

Indeed  it 's  very  pretty.     Don't  you  think 
It 's  getting  late  though  ;  time  to  go  to  tea  ? ' 

Some  folks  will  tell  you,  of  all  things  on  earth 

They  most  like  reading ;  poetry  with  them 

Is  quite  a  passion  ;  but  somehow  it  is, 

They  never  find  a  moment's  leisure  time 

For  things  they  dote  on.      W7iat  a  life  is  theirs  / 

There 's  the  new  poem,  — they  would  give  the  world 

To  skim  it  over,  but  it  cannot  be  ! 

That  trimming  must  be  finished  for  the  ball. 

If  you  indeed,  who  read  aloud  so  well. 

With  so  much  feeling,  would  but  take  the  book, 

'T  would  be  so  nice  to  listen  !  such  a  treat ! 

And  all  the  while  the  tritnminff  might  go  on. 

You  cannot  have  the  heart  to  disappoint 

Wishes  expressed  so  sweetly.     Down  you  sit ; 

The  first  few  pages  smoothly  on  you  go, 

Yourself  delighted,  and  delighting  much 

(So  simply  you  believe)  your  hearers  too. 

At  length  a  whisper,  audibly  aside. 

Or  cross  the  table,  grates  upon  your  ear. 

And  brings  you  from  the  region  of  romance  — 

'  Dear  !  how  provoking  !  have  you  seen  my  thread  ? 

No,  here  it  is.     O,  pray  don't  stop  ;  go  on 

With  that  beautiful  story.'     On  you  go, 

But  scarce  recover  from  the  first  rude  shock, 

When  lo  !  a  second.     Deep  debate  ensues, 

Grave,  solemn,  nice,  elaborate,  profound. 

About  the  shade  of  some  embroidered  leaf. 

Whether  too  dark,  or  not  quite  dark  enough, 

Or  whether  pea  green  were  not  after  all 

Better  than  apple  green.     And  there  you  sit 

Devoutly  banning  in  your  secret  soul. 

Balls,  trimmings,  and  your  own  too  easy  faith 

In  sympathy  from  hearers  so  engrossed. 

Better  leave  ofi*,  you  say,  and  close  the  book, 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  29 

Till  some  more  leisure  morning.     But  at  once 

All  voices  clamor  at  the  barb'rous  thought 

Of  such  adjournment ;  and  you  recommence, 

Loath  and  disheartened  ;  but  a  lull  succeeds 

Of  seeming  deep  attention,  and  once  more 

The  noble  song  absorbs  you,  heart  and  soul. 

That  part  you  reach  where  the  old  dog  who  lies 

Beside  Eusilla,  and,  unnoticed,  long 

Has  eyed  the  dark-cowled  stranger ;  all  at  once 

(Confirmed  by  love's  strong  instinct)  crawls  along 

And  crouches  at  his  regal  master's  feet. 

And  licks  his  hand,  and  gazes  in  his  face 

'With  eyes  of  human  meaning.'     There,  just  there,     ' 

When  trembling  like  a  harp-string  to  the  touch 

Of  some  impassioned  harmonist,  your  voice 

Falters  with  strong  emotion —    ' 

'  Oh  ! '  cries  she, 
The  passion  of  whose  soul  is  poesy, 
*  That  dear  sweet  dog  !  it  just  reminds  me  though 
That  poor  Tauton  was  washed  two  hours  ago. 
And  I  must  go  and  comb  him,  pretty  love  ! 
So  for  this  morning  (though  it  breaks  my  heart) 
From  that  dear  Ijook  I  tear  myself  away.' 
Ah,  luckless  reader  !  wilt  thou  e'er  again 
On  such  as  these  expend  thy  precious  breath  ? 
Inflict  not  on  me.  Stars,  the  killing  blight 
Of  such  companionship.     O,  rather  far 
Assign  me  for  my  intimate  and  friend 
One  who  says  plainly^  'I  confess  to  me 
Painting's  but  colored  canvas  ;  music,  noise  ; 
And  poetry,  prose  spoilt ;  those  rural  scenes 
Whereon  you  gaze  enraptured,  nothing  more 
Than  hill  and  dale  and  water,  wooded  well 
With  stout  oak  timber,  growing  for  the  axe.' 
'Twixt  such  a  heart  and  mine  there  must  be  still 
A  bar,  oft  painfully  perceived  indeed, 
And  never  overstepped.     But  I  could  feel 


30  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

Respect,  affection,  confidence  for  such, 
If  dignified  with  sound,  clear-judging  sense 
And  piety,  that  gem  beyond  all  price, 
Whereunto  compared  all  gifts  are  valueless. 

Many  there  are  among  creation's  lords 
Whom  Fashion  wheels  abroad  (a  listless  load)  ; 
Quite  blind  to  all  the  wonders  in  their  way 
Of  art  and  nature  ;  with  a  senseless  noise 
Chatt'ring  among  themselves  their  mother-tongue 
In  foreign  lands,  disdaining  to  acquire 
The  useless  knowledge  (spiritless  pursuit) 
Of  a  strange  people's  customs,  arts,  and  speech; 
And  who  return  with  minds  still  unenlarged, 
And  skulls  as  empty,  to  their  native  land. 

The  stream,  the  mead,  herb,  insect,  flower  and  leaf 

Sunbeam  and  shadow,  all,  as  we  have  said, 

Were  books  to  us,  companionable  things ; 

But  lack  of  other  volume,  man's  device. 

Was  none,  when  turning  from  the  outspread  scroll 

Of  beauteous  nature.     Sweet  repose  we  sought 

In  varied  pleasure  outside  these  ;  at  times 

Passionate  longing  grasps  the  ripened  fruit, 

And  finds  it  marred,  a  canker  at  the  core. 

"VVTiat  shall  we  dare  desire  of  earthly  good 

The  seeming  greatest ;  what  in  prayer  implore 

Or  deprecate,  of  that  our  secret  soul 

In  fondness  and  in  weakness  covets  most. 

Or  deepest  dreads,  but  with  the  crowning  clause, 

The  sanctifying,  *  Lord,  thy  will  be  done '  ? 

But  as  we  read,  and  dream;  and  smile,  and  sigh, 

Old  feelings  stir  within  us,  old  delights 

Kindle  afresh,  and  all  the  past  comes  back 

With  such  a  rush,  as  to  its  long-dried  bed 

The  waters  of  a  stream  for  many  a  year 

Pent  from  its  natural  course,  back  to  childhood. 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  31 

There  is  in  childhood  a  holy  ignorance,  a  hcantiful  credality, 
a  peculiar  sanctity,  that  one  cannot  contemplate  without  some- 
thing of  the  reverential  feeling  with  which  one  should  approach 
beings  of  a  celestial  nature.  The  impress  of  the  divine  is,  as  it 
"were,  fresh  on  the  infant  spirit,  fresh  and  unsullied  by  contact 
with  this  withering  world.  One  trembles  lest  an  impure  breath 
should  dim  the  clearness  of  its  bright  mirror.  And  how  perpetu- 
ally must  those  who  are  in  the  habit  of  contemplating  childhood, 
of  studying  the  characters  of  little  children,  feel  and  repeat  to 
their  own  hearts, '  Of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven '  !  Ay, 
which  of  us,  of  the  wisest  among  us,  may  not  stoop  to  receive 
instruction  and  rebuke  from  the  example  of  a  little  child  ? 
"Which  of  us,  by  comparison  of  its  sublime  simplicity,  its  adora- 
ble ingenuousness,  has  not  reason  to  blush  for  the  littleness,  the 
degeneracy  of  his  own  ?  How  often  has  the  innocent  remark, 
the  artless  question,  the  natural  acuteness  of  a  child  called  up 
into  older  hearts  a  blush  of  accusing  consciousness  ! 

How  often  might  the  prompt,  candid,  unqualifying,  honora- 
ble decision  of  an  infant,  in  some  question  of  right  or  wrong, 
shame  the  hesitating,  calculating  evasiveness  of  mature  reason ! 
'  Why  do  you  say  so  if  it  is  not  true  ? '  '  You  must  not  keep  that, 
for  it  is  not  yours,'  '  If  I  do  this,  or  that,  it  will  make  God  angry,' 
are  remarks  we  have  heard  from  the  lips  of  babes  and  suck- 
lings ;  the  first  in  particular,  that  probing  question,  to  the  no 
small  embarrassment  of  some  who  should  have  been  their  teach' 
ersl 

The  world  of  a  child's  imagination  is  the  creation  of  a  far  ho- 
lier spell  than  hath  ever  been  wrought  by  the  pride  of  learning, 
or  the  inspiration  of  poetic  fancy.  Innocence  that  thinketh  no 
evil,  ignorance  tluit  apprehendeth  none;  hope  that  hath  expe- 
rienced no  blight;  love  that  suspecteth  no  guile,  —  these  are  its 
ministering  angels,  these  wield  a  wand  of  powor,  making  this 
earth  a  paradise.  Time,  hard,  rigid  teacher;  reality,  rough,  stern 
reality;  world,  cold,  heartless  world ;  that  ever  your  sad  experi- 
ence, your  sombre  truths,  your  killing  cold,  your  writhing  sneers, 
should  scare  those  gentle  spirits  from  their  holy  temple !  And 
wherewith  do  ye  replace  them?  With  caution,  that  repulseth 
confidence;  with  doubt,  that  repelleth  love;  with  reason,  that 
dispelleth  illusion;  with  fear,  that  poisoueth  enjoyment;  in  a 


32  THE    UNSEALED   BOOK. 

word,  with  knowledge,  that  fatal  fruit,  the  tasting  whereof,  at  the 
first  onset,  cost  us  Paradise!  And  the  tree  of  knowledge, — 
transplanted  to  this  barren  soil,  together  with  its  scanty  blos- 
soms, —  doth  it  not  bring  thorns  abundantly  ?  And  of  the  fruits 
that  ripen,  have  any  yet  ripened  to  perfection  ?  What  hand  hath 
ever  plucked  unscathed  ? 

The  child  enjoys  everything  that  is,  abstractedly  from  all  refer- 
ence to  the  past,  all  inquiry  into  the  future.  He  feels  that  he  is 
happy,  and  satisfied  with  that  blest  perception,  searches  not  into 
the  nature  or  probable  duration  of  his  felicity. 

There  may  be,  there  are  in  after  life  intervals  of  far  sublimer 
happiness;  for  if  thought,  if  ' knowledge '  bringeth  a  curse  with 
it,  casting  as  it  were  the  taint  of  corruption  and  the  shadow  of 
death  over  all  that  in  this  Avorld  seemed  fair  and  good  and  lasting 
and  perfect,  reason,  enlightened  hy  revelation  and  sustained  by 
faith,  hath  poiver  to  lift  wp  that  gloomy  veil,  and  to  see  leyond  it 
'  the  glory  lohich  shall  he  revealed  hereafter.^  But  with  the  excep- 
tions of  such  times,  when  the  heart  communes  with  heaven,  when 
our  thoughts  are  in  a  manner  like  the  angels  ascending  and  de- 
scending on  those  bright  beams  of  celestial  intercourse,  what  feel- 
ings of  the  human  mind  can  be  thought  so  nearly  to  resemble 
those  of  the  yet  guiltless  inhabitants  of  Eden,  as  the  sensations 
of  a  young  and  happy  child  ?  " 

What  hand  indeed,  upon  this  mundane  sphere, 

Hath  ever  plucked  unscathed  the  fruits  of  knowledge  ? 

Our  life  below  is  far  too  short  for  that ; 

We  may  reach  forth  our  hand  and  gather 

From  the  tree  those  which  to  look  upon  are 

Very  fair  ;  but  alas  !  they  are  unripe,  so 

Hard  we  dare  not  even  taste.     Again,  we 

May  some  windfalls  find  upon  the  ground.     They 

Have  reached  the  highest  state  of  perfection 

Possible  to  them,  and  really  have 

A  pleasant  flavor  ;  they  will  not  harm  us, 

But  will,  instead,  give  us  a  foretaste  of 

What  shall  come  afterward  ;  and  such,  we  feel, 

Is  life  on  earth  ;  must  it  be  always  thus  ? 

As  we  grow  wiser  will  our  sorrows  also 


THE    U]SrSEAI.ED    BOOK.  33 

Increase  in  like  proportion  to  the  same  ? 
When  thoughts  like  these  arise,  permitted  tests 
Proving  our  frailty,  and  thy  mercy,  Lord, 
Let  but  thy  minist'ring  angel  draw  our  eyes 
To  nature's  book,  and  lo  !  this  troublous  world 
Fades  from  before  us  like  a  morning  mist, 
And  in  a  spirit  not  our  own,  we  cry, 
"  Perish  all  knowledge  but  lohat  leads  to  Thee  I " 

I  've  been  a  dreamer  all  my  life,  but  now, 

Alas  !  the  dream  has  fled  ;  a  whirlwind  came, 

And  I  alone  escaped.     The  bower  which  Hope 

Had  built  may  grow  and  thrive  in  yon  bright  sphere, 

A  kindly  shelter  prove  ;  but  not  here,  no, 

Not  here  !     "  'Tis  ever  thus,  'tis  ever  thus 

With  beams  of  mortal  bliss,  with  things  too  bright 

And  beautiful  for  such  a  world  as  this  ; 

One  moment  round  about  us  their  angel 

Lightnings  play,  then,  down  the  veil  of  darkness 

Drops,  and  all  hath  passed  away.     Let  it  fall. 

That  blessed  veil  which  shuts  the  future  out ; 

The  eartlihj  future  — but  beyond,  away 

With  dread  and  doubt !  "     Have  I  dread  ?  have  I  doubt  ? 

Nay,  neither.     In  trying  hours  like  these,  my 

Weary  spirit  longs  to  take  its  flight.     I 

Feel  that  I  have  drank  enough  of  life  ;  the 

Cup  assigned  to  me  contains  but  little 

Sweet  at  best.     Then  come,  ''  O  death  !  — come  quietly. 

Come  lovingly,  and  shut  mine  eyes  and  steal 

My  breath  !     Then  willingly,  oh  1  wilUngly 

With  thee  I  '11  go  away."     jNIine  earthly  friends 

May  not  be  near,  —  what  matters  it  ?     Angels 

I  know  will  me  attend,  — angels  as  pure 

As  their  own  bright  homes  ;  my  poor  lone  heart  chngs 

Lovinc;lv  to  these,  with  all  its  finest 

Tendrils,  with  all  its  flexile  rings  ;  I  long 

To  hear  the  music  of  the  heavenly  spheres, 


34  THE    UNSEALED   BOOK. 

From  harps  attuned  only  to  notes  of  love 
And  tenderness,  from  lips  whose  cadence  breathes 
Sweet  harmony  and  peace.     Alas  !  that  these 
Should  be  "  sounds  too  sweet  for  earth  "  ! 

Beautiful, 
Beautiful  sky  !  I  would  thy  splendor  here 
I  might  trace  !     The  day  a  dark  and  gloomy 
One  has  been  ;  the  sun  shone  not  until 
Its  closing  hour,  when  suddenly  its  bright 
And  golden  beams  dispelled  the  weariness 
And  gloom.     The  heavens  no  mundane  artist  could 
Portray,  just  as  the  sun  his  farewell  to 
The  earth  vouchsafed.     Spanning  a  portion  of 
The  low  horizon,  clouds  —  if  such,  indeed. 
They  could  be  called  —  assumed  alternate  hues 
Of  crimson,  orange,  golden  ;  then  came  a 
Belt  of  clear  blue  sky  ;  above  this  same  a 
Crimson  shade  again  appears,  submerged  at 
Intervals  with  hues  less  deep,  more  golden 
Bright,  streaming  high,  softly  blending  with  the 
Azure  overhead.     A  little  distance 
At  the  right  of  these,  a  huge  and  shapeless 
Mass  of  clouds,  commingling  all  the  colors 
Here  portrayed,  nor  leaving  out  the  truthful 
Blue,  presents  to  our  admiring  eye  a 
Soft,  not  deep,  purple, — type  of  royalty. 

I  could  not  -write  ;  my  gaze  was  fixed  ;  while  I, 
Unconscious,  "tranced  in  waking  dreams,"  led  on 
By  impulse  not  mine  own.     How  bright,  and  yet 
How  brief,  the  interval  vouchsafed  !     Methought 
It  was  a  type  of  life  ;  of  some  one's  life. 
It  might  be  mine,  I  could  not  say.     Thus  far 
I  felt  its  day  had  been  o'erspread  with  clouds. 
Would  my  life's  day  on  earth  as  brightly  close  ? 
Should  I  behold  the  glorious  home  above, 
While  yet  my  spirit  lingered  here  ?    K  so, 


THE    LTsSEALED    BOOK.  35 

My  Lord,  I  ask  no  more  ;  it  is  the  dearest 

Boon  I  crave.     I  may  still  dream,  but  not  as 

Heretofore  ;  for  stealing  o'er  my  soul  I 

Feel  e'en  now  the  soft,  warm  breath  of  purer  air ; 

While  voices  low  and  sweet  unto  my  soul 

Are  murmuring,  "  Thy  heart  shall  yet  be  satisfied  ; 

Thy  visions  all  come  true  :  we  say  not  when, 

We  say  not  icJiere." 

All !  spirits  kind,  I  ask 
Ye  not  to  tell ;  I  only  ask  your  warm 
And  loving  sympathy,  your  aid  in  all 
My  laliors  here  ;  my  life-work  too,  if  thou 
Wilt  consecrate.     O,  then,  indeed,  I  shall 
Be  "  satisfied  "  ;  and  tJiere  also  my  "  visions 
All  come  true  "  ;  but  not  here,  nay,  not  here. 

One 
Lesson  more  the  clouds  and  sky  enforced  ;  'twas 
This  :  The  rolling,  tumbling  mass  of  purple 
Hue  (royalty)  yf as  first  to  disappear. 
It  seemed  to  go  not  willingly,  but  plunged 
About,  assumed  at  length  the  blackness  of 
Despair,  and  angrily,  treml)ling  with  fear, 
Gave  up  the  ghost.     The  dazzling  brightness  of 
The  sun  had  given  place  to  softer  shades 
Of  mellow  light ;  these,  too,  soon  disappeared. 
And  all  the  sky,  above,  below,  around, 
Was  —  bhie.     Em1)lem  of  truth,  thy  reign  shall  come  ! 
After  a  little  space  of  tune,  the  stars 
Come  twinklino"  forth  ;  the  lesser  liirhts  which  hold 
Their  sway  until  the  dawn  of  morrow's  sun 
Doth  lighten,  brighten  all  the  earth  again. 

"O  sun  of  righteousness  divine. 
On  me  with  beams  of  mercy  shine  ; 
Chase  the  dark  clouds  of  sin  away, 
And  tm'n  my  darkness  into  day. 
As  every  day  thy  mercy  spares 


36  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

Will  bring  its  trials  and  its  cares, 
O  Saviour,  till  my  life  shall  end, 
Be  thou  my  counsellor  and  friend ; 
Teach  me  thy  precepts,  all  di\due, 
And  be  thy  pure  example  mine  ! " 

Nor  mine 
Alone  ;  indeed  that  could  not  be,  for  all 
Who  will,  may  to  thee  come  ;  thou  wilt  not  "break 
The  bruised  reed,"  nor  wilt  thou  search  the  wounds 
That  bleed,  but  only  wound  to  heal.     'T  is  easy 
Quite  to  say  these  things  ;  but  oh  !  to  live  and 
Feel  yourself  a  bruised  reed,  made  such  by 
Cruel  scorn,  contempt,  and  pride  of  so-called 
Friends  !     (Not  all,  thank  God  !  have  thus  repaid  our 
Love  for  them,  and  all  the  human  race  as 
Well.)     And  yet  we  love  them  still,  knowing  that 
"It  is  not  love  that  steals  the  heart y)'om  love; 
'Tis  the  hard  world,  and  its  perplexing  cares ; 
Its  petrifying  selfishness,  its  pride. 
Its  low  ambitions,  and  its  petty  aims. 
'  A  friend  loveth  at  all  times ' :  so  ye,  if 
Friends,  will  still  love  me  ;  not  only  through  '  good 
Eeport,'  but  through  '  evil,'  especially 
Wlten  its  falsehood  you  more  than  divine. 
Never  tell  me  of  loving  by  measure 
And  weight ;  love  cannot  be  bought,  it  cannot 
Be  sold.     '  K  yours  can,  let  them  have  it  who 
Care  :  it 's  a  o:reat  deal  too  common  for  me. 
You  must  love,  —  not  my  faults,  —  but  in  spite 
Of  them,  me,  under  all  change  of  circumstance 
Too  :  apart  or  together,  in  crowds,  or  —  in 
Short,  you  must  love  me,  because  Hove  you.''^^ 

'"  How  long  shall  I  take  counsel  in  my  soul,  having  sorrow  in 
mr  heart  daily  ?  How  long  shall  mine  enemy  be  exalted  over 
me?" 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  37 

"  I  o-o  not  like  one  in  the  strenoih  of  youth, 

Who  hopes,  though  the  passing  cloud  may  pour  down 

Its  icy  hail  amain,  that  summer  and 

Sunshine  may  break  out  again  the  brighter 

From  sorrow's  shroud.     An  April  morn  and  a 

Clouded  day  my  portion  of  life  hath  been  ; 

Yet,  would  I  change,  if  the  power  were  mine, 

One  tittle  decreed  by  the  will  divine  ? 

O,  no,  not  a  thousandth  part.     In  my 

BUndness  I've  wished,  in  my  feebleness  wept. 

With  a  weak,  weak  woman's  wail,  but  humbhng 

My  heart  and  its  hopes  in  the  dust  (all  its 

Hopes  that  are  earthly),  I  've  anchored  my  trust 

On  the  strength  that  never  can  fail" 

O,  give 
Me  then  each  day  enough  to  make  mine  own  — 
So  weak,  alas  ! — endure  for  present  needs,  — 
A  little  while,  — a  little  way,  —  and  I 
Shall  rest  at  home,  no  more  to  know  or  heed 
The  world's  contempt  and  scorn,  no  more  to  feel 
That  "hope  deferred  maketh  the  heart  sick."     The 
Time  is  past  "  when  life  was  joy,  the  fair  earth 
Paradise  "  ;  although  1  still  its  green  glades 
Love,  with  an  exceeding  love  ;  I  love,  too, 
"  To  hold  communion  Avith  the  stirring  air. 
The  breath  of  flowers,  the  ever-shifting  clouds. 
The  rustling  leaves,  the  music  of  the  stream, 
To  people  solitude  Avith  airy  shapes, 
And  the  dark  hour,  when  night  and  silence  reign, 
With  immaterial  forms  of  other  worlds  : 
But  best  and  noblest  privilege,  to  feel 
Pervading  nature's  all-harmonious  whole, 
The  great  Creator's  presence,  in  his  works." 

"  How  swift  is  a  glance  of  the  mind  !  "     When  I 
Think  of  my  native  land,  in  a  moment 
I  seem  to  be  there.     A  moment  since  and 


^  'a   Q  O'  ^ 


d^  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

I  was  calm  and  cold,  —  cold  as  this  world  is 

To  me  ;  now  the  warm  blood  through  every 

Throbbing  vein  fast  hurrying,  mantles  over 

Cheek  and  brow,  like  youth  and  hope  rekindling, 

Ebbing  now  to  the  full  heart  again  ;  leaving 

A  paler  cheek,  a  glistening  eye  with  watery 

Gaze  fixed  fast  on  visions  of  the  past ; 

O,  where  am  I?     At  home,  — at  home  again 

In  mine  own  land  ;  its  mountain  streams  are 

Murm'ring  in  mine  ear,  and  thrilling  voices 

From  loved  lips  I  hear.     There  —  there  the  loving 

Band  :  mine  own  long  lost,  oh  !  take  the  weary 

One,  to  weep  on  some  dear  breast  this  agony 

To  rest,  —  on  thine,  my  friend  !     Thou  answerest 

Not ;  none  answer  me  ;  that  cry  was  from  mine 

Own  sad  heart.     And  are  they  gone  ?     Nay,  I  am 

Gone,  —  gone  from  my  native  land.     Do  friends  mine 

Absence  mourn,  or  sigh  for  my  return?     Not 

So  ;  methinks  they  rather  do  rejoice  at 

My  protracted  stay.     Had  they  this  body 

Frail,  consigned  to  its  last  resting-place,  no 

Lack  of  tears,  no  lack  of  flowers  to  scatter 

O'er  the  bier,  to  sti-ew  around  the  tomb,  which 

After  all  did  but  contain  the  mortal 

Flesh  inanimate,  useless,  worthless  quite  ! 

Ah,  friends,  at  such  a  time  weep  not  for  me  ! 

Eejoice  rather  for  and  with  me.     K  in 

Thy  hearts  one  spark  of  love  or  sympathy 

Thou  hast,  revive  it  now,  and  let  me  feel 

Its  genial  warmth  I  pray,  while  yet  I  sojourn 

Here.     When  I  from  earth  have  passed  away,  I 

Fear  ye  will  not,  even  theif,  your  hearts  upraise 

To  meet  mine  own  ;  but  t/iere  'twill  matter  not    ' 

So  much  as  here  with  me  ;  mine  ot\ti  I  Iviiow 

Will  meet  and  love  me  there  ;  their  spirit-fonns 

Mine  eyes  shall  see,  their  loving  arms  will  me 

Enfold ;  the  music  of  their  voices  sweet 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  39 

Will  charm  mine  ear ;  what  now  seems  misty,  there 

Will  be  so  tangible  and  real.     Then  chide 

Me  not  if  I  do  ask  you,  here  and  now. 

To  give  the  love  deep-pent  within  your  hearts. 

This  clayey  tenement  treat  kindly  for 

The  spirit' s  sake,  so  long  as  it  the  spirit 

Doth  enshrine  ;  when  that  departs,  I  crave  not 

For  the  empty  barren  casket  one  tear, 

One  sigh  from  thee  ;  let  it  return  to  mother 

Earth  from  whence  it  came  ;  there,  tranquilly 

Repose. 

"  O,  for  a  sound  of  life  from  a 
Single  living  thing  ! "     The  cloud  of  my  spirit 
Doth  dwell  on  beautiful  things  to-day ;  yet 
I  cannot  be  glad ;  the  sound  of  my  breath 
In  this  stillness  deep,  distresses  me  sore. 
My  heart  is  not  sullen,  though  sad  ;  for  your 
Silence,  dear  friends,  seems  very  unkind  ;  and 
I  —  so  lonely  —  must  I  still  live  lingering  on, 
Like  a  trampled  passion-flower,  torn  from  its 
Parent  stem  ?  must  I  still  keep  sufiering 
On,  like  a  martyr,  writing  the  while,  and 
You  in  silent  sweetness  remain,  as  if 
Fearing  to  "  waste  your  fragrance  on  the  desert 
Air  "  ?     Have  ye  naught  to  say  the  spell  to  break  ? 
I  Avould  have  you  make  no  kiinlly  j^retence, 
For  flattering  words  more  pain  than  pleasure 
Would  give  ;  a  loving  rebuke  in  frankness 
Given  would  be  more  graciously  received. 
One  word  of  sweet  encouragement  from  thee. 
Would  vibrate  tenderly  on  weary  heart-strings 
Now  trailing  Ioav,  wayworn  with  earthly  strife  ; 
But  if  in  me  thou 'It  not  confide,  I  have 
Of  thee  one  more  request  to  make  ;  't  is  this  : 
That  when  on  bended  knee,  with  heart  upraised, 
Thou  dost  for  thee  and  thine  a  blessing  crave, 
"  Forget  not  wie  "  ;  invoke  a  blessing  on 


40  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

My  labors  too,  that  I  may  deck  a  holier 
Shriue,  sip  from  a  purer  fountain,  yielding 
Waters  more  divine  ! 

"  Silent  friends,  fare  ye  well  I 
Shadows,  adieu  !  living  friends  long  I've  lost, 
JSTow  I  lose  you.     Bitter  tears,  many  I've  shed,  — 
None  saw  them  flow  ;  dreary  hours,  many  I've  sped 
Unknown  to  you  "  ;  yet  in  my  loneliness  — 
Kindl}^,  methought  —  some  still  felt  toward  me, 
Mocking  me  not  with  light  speech  and  hollow  words, 
Grating  sore  the  sad  heart,  with  many  ills 
Sick  to  the  core  ;  then,  if  my  clouded  skies 
Brightened  awhile,  seemed  your  soft,  serious  eyes 
Almost  to  smile  ;  making  me  feel  not  quite 
Alone,  not  quite  companionless. 

Spirit  friends  ! 
Ye  read  and  replied  to  my  questioning  thought. 
"Daughter,"  ye  softly  said,  "peace  to  thine  heart ! 
We  too  —  yes,  daughter  !  —  have  been  as  thou  art, — 
Tossed  on  the  troubled  waves,  life's  stormy  sea ; 
Chance  and  change  manifold  proving  like  thee, 
Hope-lifted,  doubt-depressed,  seeing  in  part, 
Tried,  troubled,  tempted,  sustained,  as  thou  art. 
Our  God  is  thij  God  ;  what  He  wills  is  best ; 
Trust  him  as  we  trusted  ;  then  —  rest  as  toe  res^." 
"  Silent  friends  !  fare  ye  well !     Shadows  !  adieu. 
One  friend  abideth  still,  all  changes  through." 

"  There  was  a  time  —  sweet  time  of  youthful  folly  — 
Fantastic  woes  I  coveted,  feigned  distress. 
Wooing  the  veiled  phantom,  Melancholy, 
When  heaved  the  light  heart,  that  knew  no  real  pain. 
But  I  have  lived  to  feign  the  smile  of  gladness, 
Wlien  all  below  seemed  cheerless,  dark,  and  cold, 
When  all  earth's  joys  were  mockery  and  madness, 
And  life  more  tedious  than  a  'tale  twice  told.' 
And  now  —  and  now  —  pale,  pining  Melancholy  I 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  41 

Ko  longer  veil  for  me  your  haggard  brow 
In  pensive  sweetness,  such  as  youthi'ul  folly 
Fondly  conceited  ;  I  abjure  ye  now  ! 
Avv'ay  !  avaunt !  no  longer  now  I  call  ye, 
'Diviuest  Melancholy  !  mild,  meek  maid  ' ; 
No  longer  may  your  siren  spells  enthrall  me, 
A  willing  captive  in  your  baleful  shade  ; 
No  lono;er  feis^ned  distress,  fantastic  woe  ! 
But  for  the  stricken,  the  spirit  broken. 
There 's  balm  in  Gilead  still ;  the  very  rod, 
If  we  kiss  it  as  the  stroke  descendeth, 
Distilleth  oil  t'  allay  the  inflicted  smart ; 
I  know  my  griefs  ;   but  then  my  consolation, 
My  trust,  and  my  immortal  hopes  I  know. 
The  Christian  strife  can  finish  but  with  finished 
Life  (below)  ;  the  spirit  may  be  all  resigned, 
Yet  inly  bleed.     The  willing  mind,  too,  oft 
IVIay  faint,  the  hopeful  eye  sink  rayless  in 
Despondency."     Love's  sunshine  melting  not 
To  tears  the  drifted  sorrows  of  the  heart ; 
But  "  in  that  region  of  artistic  splendor, 
"Where  the  angel  faces  look  so  tender. 
Human  weakness  ncedeth  no  defender ; 
In  the  perfect  light  of  the  heavenly  city. 
Souls  can  read  the  law  of  life  aright. 
O,  when  the  circle  made  complete,  shall  in 
Thy  boundless  being  meet,  we  feel,  Ave  know 
That  we  shall  l)e  made  perfect  in  our  love 
To  thee,  holy  Father,  that  good  will  triumph 
In  that  hour,  and  weakness  be  exchanged  for 
Power." 

Rest,  weary  spirit,  from  thy  labors 
Rest ;  thy  doul)ts,  thy  Avrougs,  thy  painful  wanderings  I 
Dread  memories  are  these,  cnil)almcd  with  tears. 
From  which  I  turn  with  sick'nins:  sisfh.     Retrace 
Not  thou  the  past ;  look  up,  look  up,  my  soul, 
To  loftier  mysteries  !     Seek  out  the  isles 


42  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

Of  light,  where  not  a  passing  cloud  obscures 
The  sunny  scene.     Trust  in  his  word  to  thee 
Who  saith,  "  All  tears  shall  be  wiped  from  all  eyes." 
And  O,  my  soul !  judge  not  again  at  a 
Single  glance,  nor  pass  sentence  hastily ; 
There  are  many  good  things  in  this  world  of 
Ours, —  many  sweet  things  and  rare  !  weeds  that 
Prove  precious  flowers,  little  dreamt  of  by  thee. 
Yea,  human  flowers,  that  a  common  observer 
Passeth  by  with  a  scornful  lip  and  a 
Careless  eye,  in  the  heyday  of  pleasure 
And  pride.     Look  about,  up  and  down,  but  take 
Care  !  do  not  crush  the  seeming  unlovely 
Flower,  for,  in  truth,  there 's  beauty  in  it ; 
Remove  it  to  some  quiet  spot,  from  the 
IVIid-day  sun's  broad  glare,  where  domestic  peace 
Broods  with  dove-like  wing,  and  try  if  the 
Homely,  despised  thing  may  not  yield  sweet 
Fragrance  there.     All 's  not  gold  that  glitters,  you 
Know ;  and  it  is  not  all  worth,  that  makes  the 
Greatest  show  in  the  glare  of  the  strongest 
Light. 

'\'VTio  that  hath  examined  the  lovely 
And  modest  violet  with  care,  can  pass 
It  rudely  by  ?     Its  pencilled  markings  so 
Exquisitely  drawn,  its  royal  shadings 
Blending  so  sweetly  ;  and  then,  its  delicate, 
Eare  perfume  ;  it  thrives  and  blooms  almost  che 
Livelong  year ;  the  summer's  heat  disturbs  it 
Not ;  the  winter's  chill  may  for  a  time  its 
Blossoms  check,  but  oft  we  've  seen  in  early 
Spring,  its  verdure  bright  above  the  snowy 
Mantled  earth  appear,  and  buds  lain  dormant 
Ope  to  the  mild  breath  of  April  morn.     We 
Have,  too,  observed  that  this  lowly  flower  is 
Not  easily  crushed,  or,  ?y  crushed,  even 
To  the  earth,  will  rise  and  bloom  again  for 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  43 

Those  who  trampled  on  and  nearly  did  its 
Life  crush  out.     O,  blest  indeed  the  Human 
Flower  whose  heart  doth  so  rebound  with  love 
To  those  who  break  or  wound,  but  never  heal ! 
To  such  as  these  methinks  Leigh  Hunt 's  beautiful 
Allegory  will  apply.     You  have  doubtless 
Read  it  many  a  time  ;  so  have  I,  but 
Never  tire,  and  so  will  here  it  insert. 

"  Abou  Ben  Adham  —  may  his  tribe  increase  — 
Awoke  one  night  from  a  dream  of  peace, 
And  saw,  within  the  moonlight  in  his  room 
Making  it  rich,  and  like  a  lily  in  bloom, 
An  angel  writing  in  a  book  of  gold. 
Exceeding  peace  had  made  Ben  Adham  bold, 
And  to  the  presence  in  his  room  he  said, 
'  What  writest  thou  ? '     The  vision  raised  his  head, 
And  with  a  look  made  all  of  sweet  accord. 
Answered,  '  The  names  of  those  who  love  the  Lord.' 
'And  is  mine  one?'  said  Abou.     'Nay,  not  so,' 
Replied  the  angel.     Abou  spoke  more  low. 
But  cheerily  still,  and  said,  '  I  pray  thee,  then, 
Write  me  as  one  that  loves  his  fellow  men.' 

The  angel  wrote  and  vanished.     The  next  night 

It  came  again  with  a  great  wakening  light. 

And  showed  the  names  whom  love  of  God  had  blessed, 


And,  lo  I  Ben  Adham's  name  led  all  the  rest." 

These  same  little  violets,  so  modest 

And  sweet,  thrive  not  so  well  in  the  sun 's  hot 

Rays  as  in  some  quiet  sheltered  nook ;  they  bear 

Far  better  the  chill,  searching  winds  and  moisture 

Therewith,  than  the  sun's  scorching  heat.     Roses 

Have  we,  and  other  flowers  gay,  which  thrive 

Not  at  all  in  a  cold  ungciiial  shade  ; 

They  love  the  light,  and  it  must  have  or  cease 


44  THE    UNSEALED   BOOK. 

To  bloom ;  e'en  then  our  roses  queenly  and 
Fair,  many  an  one,  do  only  give  their 
Blossoms  sweet,  one  mouth  in  the  year  ;  short-lived 
Are  they,  yet  beautiful  in  their  time.     When  we 
Roam  from  flower  to  flower,  we  know  not  which  we 
Love  the  best ;  we  love,  yea,  dearly  love  them 
All !     No  rose,  'tis  said,  without  its  thorn.     This 
May  be  true  ;  —  but  when  they  say  a  serpent 
Lurks  our  sweetest  flowers  among,  believe  them 
Not.     Think,  rather,  that  an  angel  face  looks 
Out  from  each,  although  our  vision  dim  discern 
It  not ;  no  doubt  have  we  that  each  and  all  — 
The  very  least  of  us  —  have  guardian  angels 
Us  assigned  by  Him  who  notes  the  sparrow 
Fall.     They  're  flitting  near,  all  around  us  and 
Above,  on  missions  of  kindness,  compassion, 
And  love.     They  smile  when  we  're  happy  and 
Good  :  are  less  distressed  at  our  weaknesses, 
Failings,  and  fears  than  are  we,  who  so  little 
Of  the  future  may  know  ;  they  care  for  the 
Least  of  our  innocent  joys,  and  if  we  but 
Heed  and  trust  to  their  care,  will  lead  us  to 
Bloom-beds,  bright,  lovely  ones  too,  where  serpents 
Harm  not,  and  thorns  never  grow ;  where  the 
Net-work  of  life  flows  smoothly  on,  its  meshes 
All  evenly  set,  its  threads  so  fine,  seeming 
Not  to  have  beginning  or  end,  so  deftly 
Hid.     We  oft  have  felt  our  life  below  were 
At  the  best  a  tangled  web,  an  instrument 
Whose  keys  had  ne'er  been  found  in  tune.     O, 
In  that  happy  sphere  above,  may  we  not 
Hope  the  tangled  threads  will-  all  come  straight  ?  our 
Hearts  be  all  attuned  to  love  and  truth,  the 
Master-keys  of  Heaven  ?     We  've  heard  that  little 
Infants  converse  by  smiles  and  signs  witli  the 
Guardian  band  of  angels  that  round  about 
Them  shine,  unseen  by  grosser  senses.    How 


THE    UZS^SEALED    BOOK.  45 

Beautiful  the  thought !  'twill  be  renewed  too. 
Thy  childhood  heart  may  receive  the  same 
Angelic  wisdom  ;  in  after  years  as 
Well  as  now,  thou  mayst  thy  thoughts  and  smiles 
Bestow  upon  thy  heavenly  friends,  with  them 
Commune.     To  some  this  may  a  simple  fancy 
Seem,  — we  deem  it  wise  and  true.     Precious  babes, 
What  ministry  like  love  uuhired  ?     O  Earth  ! 
Earth  !  Earth  !  when  will  your  sons  become  "  wise  as 
Serpents,  harmless  as  doves"?     When  will  they  learn 
True  wisdom,  and  in  singleness  of  heart 
Be  wilUng  that  even  "  a  little  child 
Shall  lead  them"? 

"  0  Lord,  my  God !  if  I  have  done  this ! " 
"  Help,  Lord  !  for  the  godly  man  ceaseth ;  for  the  faithful  fail 
from  among  the  children  of  men." 

Silent  friends,  —  but  wait,  are  ye  friends?  ye  surely 

Are  not  silent  ones  ;  would  to  God  ye  were, 

For  your  own  souls'  good  !     Toward  me  only  were 

Ye  silent.     ]My  heart  and  my  strength  failed  me. 

"  My  harp  also  was  turned  to  mourning,  and 

My  organ  into  the  voice  of  them  that  weep." 

The  days  went  by,  I  could  not  write, — why?     My 

Verj'^  heart's  blood  was  congealed  by  your  icy 

Coldness  ;  the  sun  refused  its  warm  and  genial 

Eays  to  lend,  to  melt  away  the  frozen 

Tears  which  dimmed  my  eyes  as  well.     Should  I,  or 

Could  I  if  I  would,  distil  its  chilling 

Breath?     Nay,  I  could  not  if  I  would,  nor  would 

I  if  I  could.     Methoui^ht  to  wait  for  briijhter 

Days  to  come,  e'er  I  my  thoughts  poured  forth 

Again  :  I  waited  long,  and  then —     My  God  I 

My  God  !     Who  hath  done  this  ?    Have  mercy  I 

Have  mercy  I 


46  THE    UNSEALED   BOOK. 

"Save  me,  0  God,  for  the  waters  are  come  in  unto  my 
soul." 

"  Plead  my  cause,  0  Lord,  with  them  that  strive  with  me." 
"  Make  haste,  0  God,  to  deliver  me ;  make  haste  to  help  me, 
0  Lord." 

"For  it  was  not  an  enemy  that  reproached  me;  then  I  could 
have  borne  it :  neither  was  it  he  that  hated  me  that  did  magnify 
himself  against  me ;  theu  I  would  have  hid  myself  from  him  : 

But  it  was  thou,  a  man  mine  equal,  my  guide,  and  mine  ac- 
quaintance. 

We  took  sweet  counsel  together,  and  walked  unto  the  house  of 
God  in  company." 

"  Lord,  how  long  wilt  thou  look  on  ?  Eescue  my  soul,"  I  be- 
seech thee. 

"  For  they  speak  not  peace :  but  they  devise  deceitful  matters 
against  them  that  are  quiet  in  the  land."  But  as  for  me,  "  I  be- 
haved myself  as  though  he  had  been  my  friend  or  brother :  when 
they  were  sick  I  humbled  my  soul  with  fasting;  and  my  prayer 
returned  unto  mine  own  bosom." 

"  Have  mercy  upon  me,  0  Lord,  for  I  am  in  trouble ;  my  life  is 
spent  with  grief." 

*'I  was  a  reproach  among  all  mine  enemies,  but  especially 
among  my  neighbors,  and  a  fear  to  mine  acquaintance." 

"  For  I  have  heard  the  slander  of  many." 

"When  my  father  and  my  mother  forsake  me,"  then  wilt  thou, 

0  Lord,  "  take  me  up  "  ? 

"  Because  for  thy  sake  I  have  borne  reproach ;  I  am  become  a 
stranger  unto  my  brethren  and  an  alien  unto  my  mother's  chil- 
dren." 

"  They  that  hate  me  without  a  cause  are  more  than  the  hairs  of 
mine  head."     Hear  me,  0  Lord. 

"  Deliver  me  out  of  the  mire,  and  let  me  not  sink :  let  me  be 
delivered  from  them  that  hate  me,  and  out  of  the  deep  waters. 

Let  not  the  water-flood  overflow  me,  neither  let  the  deep  swal- 
low me  up. 

Hear  me,  0  Lord,  and  hide  not  thy  face  from  thy  servant;  for 

1  am  in  trouble :  hear  me  speedily. 

Draw  nigh  unto  my  soul  and  redeem  it :  deliver  me  because  of 
mine  enemies. 
Eeproach  hath  broken  my  heart ;  and  I  am  full  of  heaviness : 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  47 

and  I  looked  for  some  to  take  pity,  but  there  "was  none ;  and  for 
comforters,  but  I  found  none." 

"The  spirit  of  a  man  will  sustain  his  infirmity;  but  a  wounded 
spirit  who  can  hear  ?  " 

Ah  !   One  hath  borne,  one  alone 
Of  earth-born  sons  hath  borne,  suffered,  yea. 
Conquered,  all  below.     Ho  feels,  he  knows  it 
All.     In  agony,  he  wept  and  prayed  for — 
Whom  ?     For  those  who  knew  not  what  they  did.     O 
Jesu  I  meek  and  mild,  teach  us  to  pray  !  to 
Love  as  thou  hast  loved  !     Think  ye,  dear  friends,  liis 
Agonizing  tears  and  prayers  were  caused  l)y 
Suff 'rings  bodily  ?  or  by  a  contemplation 
Of  the  same  ?     Hear  ye  his  words  :  "  Thinkest  thou 
That  I  cannot  now  pray  to  my  Father, 
And  he  shall  presently  give  me  more  than 
Twelve  legions  of  angels  ?  " 

"  Behold,  the  time  cometh,  yea,  is  now  come,  that  ye  shall  be 
scattered,  every  man  to  his  own,  and  shall  leave  me  alone :  and 
yet  I  am  not  alone,  because  the  Father  is  with  me." 

Believed  they  this  ?     Nay,  not  one  of  all  the 
Twelve  believed  ;  not  one  could  comprehend  his 
Words,  when  he  said  unto  them — 

"  All  ye  shall  be  offended  because  of  mo  this  night :  for  it  is 
written  I  will  smite  the  shepherd,  and  the  sheep  of  the  flock  shall 
be  scattered  abroad. 

Peter  ansAvered  and  said  unto  him,  Though  all  men  shall  be 
offended  because  of  thee,  yet  will  /  never  be  offended. 

Jesus  said  unto  him,  Verily  I  say  unto  thee,  that  this  night, 
before  the  cock  crow,  thou  shalt  deny  me  thrice. 

Peter  said  unto  him,  Though  I  should  die  with  thee,  yet  will  I 
not  deny  thee.     Likewise  also  said  all  the  disciples." 

Alas  for  frail 
Human  nature  I     Gethsemane,  thou  garden 
Fair.     If  thou  couldst  speak,  how  much  ye  might 


48  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

Reveal ;  how  much  of  mental  sorrow,  combined 

With  anguished  love,  record  !     'T  was  here,  alone 

He  prayed,  while  his  companions  slept ;  yea,  those 

Very  ones  who  had  their  constancy  proclaimed 

In  tones  so  strong  !     To  them  the  Master  said, 

"My  soul  is  exceeding  sorrowful,  even 

Unto  death  :  tarry  ye  here,  and  watch  with 

Me."     Ho  bowed  his  face  unto  the  earth  in 

Agony  too  deep  for  utterance  :  when  he 

Arose  his  watchers  slept.     How  mildly  he 

Them  chides  with  words  which  tell  the  secret  grief 

Within  :  "  Could  ye  not  watch  with  me  one  Jiour?'^ 

And  then,  as  if  to  remove  even  the 

Shadow  of  a  reproach,  he  adds  :  "  The  spirit 

Truly  is  willing,  but  the  Jlesh  is  weak." 

He  asks  them  not  again  to  watch ;  twice  more 

Alone  he  prays,  saying, 

"  0  my  Father,  if  this  cnp  may  not  pass  away  from  me  except  I 
drink  it,  thy  will  be  done. 

And  then  appeared  an  angel  unto  him  from  heaven,  strength- 
ening him." 

Then  turning  to  his  silent  friends  he  saith,  "  Sleep  on  now  and 
take  your  rest." 

Again  he  saith,  "  ISTeither  pray  I  for  these  alone,  but  for  them 
also  which  shall  believe  on  me  through  their  word. 

That  they  all  may  be  one,  as  thou,  Father,  art  in  me,  and  I  in 
thee,  that  they  also  may  be  one  in  us. 

I  in  them,  and  thou  in  me,  that  they  may  be  made  perfect  in 
one;  and  that  the  world  may  know  that  thou  hast  sent  me,  and 
hast  loved  them,  as  thou  hast  loved  me. 

I  have  given  them  thy  word  ;  and  the  world  hath  hated  them, 
because  they  are  not  of  the  world,  even  as  I  am  not  of  the 
world. 

I  pray  not  that  thou  shouldst  take  them  out  of  the  world,  but 
that  thou  shouldst  keep  them  from  the  evil." 

To  his  disciples  he  saith,  "  These  things  have  I  spoken  unto 
you,  that  in  me  ye  might  have  peace.  In  the  world  ye  shall  have 
tribulation :  but  be  of  good  cheer ;  I  have  overcome  the  world." 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  49 

My  Lord  and  my  God  ! 
Wilt  thou  keep  me  from  the  evil  ?    Although  in 
The  world  I  still  have  tribulation,  may  I  in 
Thee  have  peace  !     I  cannot  now,  I  dare  not 
Hope  to  ever  in  earth-life  say,  — 

"  The  lines  are  fallen  unto  me  in  pleasant  places."  Yet  I  will 
love  thee,  0  Lord,  my  strength. 

"  Thou  tellest  my  wanderings :  put  thou  my  tears  into  thy  bottle : 
are  they  not  in  thy  book  ? 

When  I  cry  unto  thee,  then  shall  mine  enemies  turn  back :  this 
I  know,  for  God  is  for  me." 

"  How  precious  also  are  thy  thoughts  unto  me,  0  God  !  how 
great  is  the  sum  of  them !  They  are  more  in  number  than  the 
sand." 

"  Weeping  may  endure  for  a  night,  but  joy  cometh  in  the  morn- 
ing." Therefore  "  will  I  call  upon  God  ;  and  the  Lord  shall  save 
me;  evening,  morning,  and  at  noon  will  I  pray  and  cry  aloud; 
and  he  shall  hear  my  voice." 

He  shall  deliver  my  soul  in  peace  from 
The  battle  that  is  against  me  :  for  there  are  many 
With  me,  yea,  many.     Ask  ye  who  they  are  ? 
From  whence  they  come  ?     They  are  a  wliite-robed, 
Happy  band,  who  once  did  toil  as  I  do 
Here:  I  knew  them  well.     They  come  from  that 
Celestial  sphere  where  I  hope  soon  (God  willing) 
Togo.     What  come  they  for  ?     God's  messengers 
Are  they  to  me,  bearing  sweet  words  of  hope, 
Encouragement,  and  love.     What  say  they  to 
Me?     "You  strive  to  conquer,"  saith  one  ;  another, 
"  You  will  not  always  row  against  the  tide  "  ; 
And  still  another,  "You  will  yet  see  the 
Purpose  of  all  you  are  passing  through."     I 
Might  go  on  at  length,  but  this  must  now  suffice. 
As  for  me,  blessed  Lord,  I  shall  be  satisfied 
"When  I  awake  with  thy  likeness." 


50  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

O  Lord, 

How  good  thou  art !     Not  only  hast  thou 
Given  me  communings  with  the  angel 
World,  but  hast  also  vouchsafed  me  tidings 
From  afar,  from  earth-friends  dear,  as  these 
Letters  three  denote.     "O  my  heart !  is  all 
Indeed  so  changed  ?  or  art  thou  the  changeling, 
Sore  aweary  now  at  times  of  all  beneath 
The  sun?"     Precious  letters  !  penned  by  loving 
Hands.     Abundant  proof  ye  bring,  that  e'en  on 
This  terrestrial  sphere  are  living  hearts 
And  loving  ones,  that  still  remember  me. 
The  first  is  from  a  mind  advanced,  though  still 
Li  years  a  youth.     Development  to  him 
Has  come  through  sad  experience  of  mind 
And  heart.     To  use  his  own  language, — 

"  I  started  in  life  with  as  high  an  aspiration  as  a  man  could 
have  ;  with  a  desire  to  do  right,  and  to  hve  up  to  right  and  truth, 
in  all  things  that  constitute  true  manhood  in  all  the  relations  of 
life.  This,  from  the  inmost  recess  of  my  soul,  I  now  believe  to  be 
impossible.  Do  not  think  that  I  am  faint-hearted ;  to  me  fear  is 
unknown ;  but  the  utter  worthlessness  of  men  has  led  me  to  al- 
most despise  my  race.  Men's  interests  are  opposed  to  truth  and 
right,  in  every  relation  in  life ;  and  when  we  are  brought  in  con- 
tact with  them,  the  result  is,  they  endeavor  to  constrain  and  crush 
us.  Therefore,  had  we  not  better  give  up  the  struggle  and  float 
with  the  tide  ? 

If  I  should  preach  what  I  believe  to  ie  truth,  I  should  be  com- 
pletely estranged  from  society  (I  almost  hate  the  word).  What 
can  one  do,  unless  one  become  completely  independent  of  the 
world  ?  If  I  had  only  gone  with  the  tide,  my  life  would  have  been 
so  much  more  happy !  I  might  have  become  (as  a  reverend  gen- 
tleman expressed  it)  '  a  light  in  society,  an  ornament  in  the  church, 
and  a  defender  of  the  faith.'  And  instead  what?  Denounced 
publicly  from  the  pulpit  as  a  most  '  dangerous  infidel,  who  would 
almost  shake  the  faith  of  an  apostle ' ;  shunned  by  many  who  are 
afraid  of  des])oiling  their  garments  by  coming  in  contact  with  me. 
This  is  the  fate  of  such  as  mc;  and  I  repeat,  is  it  worth  the  cost 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  51 

to  continue  the  struggle  ?  If  we  do,  just  as  sure  as  we  live,  we 
shall  keep  drifting  farther  away  from  the  world's  opinions.  Do 
you  imagine  all  have  reached  the  omega  of  our  knowledge?  ISTo, 
not  by  any  means ;  we  are  only  Just  started  on  the  road  that  leads 
—  where,  can  you  tell  ?  I  am  in  a  kind  of  troubled  doubt  and 
uncertainty  as  regards  many  things.  Duty  and  the  future  lead 
me  one  way,  while  the  experience  I  have  undergone  points  me  to 
the  doctrine  of  Darwin,  of  the  '  survival  of  the  fittest.'  In  all  (if 
life  and  its  relations,  the  first  points  to  a  glorious  future,  that  will 
atone  for  all  the  trials  of  life.  The  latter  chains  me  down  to  the 
fearful  doctrine  of  materialism.  The  first  says.  Do  your  dut'i 
fearlessly,  7io  matter  what  comes  or  goes ;  while  the  latter  says, 
Do  the  best  you  can,  only  for  yourself.  Do  you  see  the  fearful 
difference  between  the  two  doctrines  ?  " 

Yes,  brother,  I  see,  comprehend  in  part,  not  all.  The  first,  as 
regards  duty,  with  the  glorious  future  awaiting  the  performance 
of  the  same,  I  believe  to  be  an  established  fact,  as  beautiful  as  it 
is  true  ;  and  let  me  ask  what  higher  incentive  there  can  be  to  "  do 
your  duty  fearlessly,  no  matter  what  comes  or  goes,"  than  this? 
As  to  the  materialistic  views,  I  confess  to  a  blissful  ignorance,  so 
far  as  my  own  experience  is  concerned.  If  yours  is  a  true  repre- 
sentation of  riie  same,  I  hope  and  pray  that  it  is  only  pointed  out 
to  you  as  a  dangerous  path,  wherein  if  you  walk  the  "  result  and 
the  end  "  will  bo  more  difficult  to  determine  than  the  first-named 
one,  of  duty  and  truth. 

O  brother,  beware  !  tamper  not  with  these, 

Nor  suffer  your  mind  to  be  in  a  "strait 

Betwixt  two  "  ;  your  better  judgment  I  am 

Sure  will  incline  to  the  first,  although,  as 

You  say,  'tis  easier  far  to  float  with  the 

Tide.     The  road  to  destruction  hath  ever 

Been  broad,  and  many  there  are  w'ho  walk 

Therein  ;  while  "  straight  and  narrow  "  the  path  which 

Leads  to  Heaven  and  God  ;  though  few  as  3^et 

Have  follow^ed  the  same.     But  what,  my  dear  friend, 

"Would  be  the  result  if  these  same  few  were 

All  to  turn  back  and  "float  with  the  tide"? 

And  what  saith  the  Scripture  of  liim  who  "puttcth 


52  THE    UNSEALED    BOOK. 

His  hcand  to  the  plough  "  and  looks  back  ?     A  bad 

Promise,  we  know,  is  "better  broken  than  kept" ; 

Not  so  a  good  one  ;  'tis  better  to  not 

Vow,  than  to  vow  and  not  pay.     We  have,  as 

You  say,  but  started  on  the  road  that  leads  — 

You  ask  where  ?    Doth  echo  answer.  Where  ?     Nay, 

Brother ;  an  angel  whispers  in  mine  ear, 

"To  the  tree  of  life."     If  we  indeed  a 

Gift  possess,  vouchsafed  but  only  to  the 

Few,  O  let  us  cultivate  the  same,  and 

May  the  fruit  it  doth  produce  bear  evidence 

That  we  of  no  "false  gift"  make  boast,  which  same 

Is  like  "  clouds  and  wind  without  rain  "  unto 

A  parched  and  barren  soil.     The  waves  are  dashing 

High  about  us  now  :  the  tide  we  row  against 

Is  strong  :  the  waters  almost  overflow 

Our  frail  and  slender  bark  ;  yet  One  hath  said, 

"Hitherto  shalt  thou  come,  but  no  further; 

And  here  shall  thy  proud  waves  be  stayed." 

Then  let  us  hope  the  tide  will  soon  begin    , 

To  fall,  the  sea  of  life  will  grow  more  calm. 

There' s  one  thing  more  I  wish  to  say  ;  wert  thou 

A  "scorner,"  I  it  should  leave  unsaid,  lest 

Thou  me  "hate" ;  I  know  thy  wisdom  doth  mine 

Own  exceed  in  many  things,  perhaps  in 

This  ;  yet  1  have  sometimes  feared  thy  fellow 

Men  did  scarce  from  thee  justice  receive  ; 

Justice  of  thought  I  mean,  as  regards  their 

Purposes  and  intents  ;  in  other  words. 

That  thou  wert  lacking  in  that  "  charity 

Which  covereth  a  multidude  of  sins." 

Many,  and  I  believe  the  majority 

Of  our  race,  sin  thoughtlessly,  and  more 

Through  ignorance,  than  from  an  evil 

Purpose  at  heart.     Another  thought  still  suggests 

Itself  to  my  mind,  in  regard  to  "drifting 

Away  from  the  world's  opinions  "  ;  may  we 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  53 

Not  ill  this  even,  go  too  fast  and  too 
Far,  turning  the  blessing  into  a  curse, 
By  thinking  only  of  ourselves,  instead 
Of  lending  a  helping  hand  to  brethren 
And  sisters  who  are  still  weak  in  the  faith  ? 
K  we  to  these  can  impart  the  knowledge 
Attained  by  us  through  sorrows  deep,  through 
Trials  sore,  will  they  not  escape  in  part. 
At  least,  the  quicksands  from  which  we  escaped 
But  with  life  ?  and  may  we  not  count  on  a 
Blessing  ourselves  ?  for  "  he  that  watereth 
Shall  be  watered  also  himself."     "We  must 
Bear  in  mind  that  "  the  tongue  of  the  just  is 
As  choice  silver  "  ;  and  that  "  the  lips  of  the 
Righteous  feed  many."     If  we  from  higher  ours 
Receive,  methinks  we  must  to  lower  give  what 
They  unto  our  souls  transmit.     We  are  not 
Alone  in  the  strusfgle,  although  at  times  it 
May  so  seem  ;  and  many  I  know  who  are  to 
Us  dear,  have  no  desire  to  follow  or 
By  us  be  led  ;  others  there  are,  less  dear 
To  ourselves  it  may  be,  whose  souls  do  hunger 
And  thirst  for  this  meat  and  drink.     "There  are 
Whom  in  our  daily  path  we  greet  coldly 
Familiar,  ev'n  so  to  meet,  muid  to  mind 
Stranger  :  while  a  moment's  space,  mystical 
Interchansfc  of  tone  or  look,  binds  us  to 
Others  in  strong  sympathy,  fast  and 
Forever." 

I  trust,  dear  brother,  that  you  will  not  take  offence  at  my  plain- 
ness of  speech.  My  heart's  desire  and  prayer,  for  yon  and  for  all 
who  are  workers  with  us  in  the  cause,  is,  that  ye  "  feed  the  flock 
of  God  which  is  among  you,  taking  the  oversijrht  thereof,  not  by 
constraint,  but  willingly  ;  not  for  filthy  lucre,  but  of  a  ready  mind. 
Neither  as  being  lords  over  God's  heritaire,  but  being  ensamplcs  to 
the  flock.  And  when  the  chief  Shepherd  shall  appear,  ye  shall 
receive  a  crown  of  glory  that  fadeth  not  away." 


54  THE    UNSEALED   BOOK. 


Extract  from  Letter  No.  2. 

""We  received  yoar  book  Christmas  day,  for  which  many 
thanks.  In  regard  to  the  work,  I  am  surprised  that  you  have 
been  able  to  so  clearly  express  your  views  on  this  peculiar  subject; 
I  hardly  think  any  one,  after  reading  it,  will  question  your  sincer- 
ity in  regard  to  the  same.  Aside  from  the  subject  in  question, 
think  you  have  made  some  pretty  good  hits.  I  am  afraid  the  book 
will  not  be  a  pecuniary  success  for  many  reasons,  the  most  con- 
spicuous one,  your  ideas  of  free  love,  matrimony,  etc.  You,  nor 
I,  nor  the  next  generation,  will  live  to  see  the  world  governed  by 
love  to  such  an  extent  that  we  shall  need  no  laws  in  regard  to 
matrimony.  You  are  older  than  I  am ;  but  if  you  had  seen  and 
known  as  much,  even,  as  I  have,  of  the  hidden  lives  of  some  men 
and  women  who  are  considered  upright  and  honorable,  I  am  sure 
you  would  very  materially  change  your  views. 

You  no  doubt  will  think  it  strange  that  I  should  know  of  so 

much  that  is  bad.     Tiie  four  years  that  I  was  in were  very 

pleasant  ones  to  me  in  some  respects,  but  I  learned  tp  almost 
think  virtue  was  a  thing  of  the  past.  But  enough  of  this  ;  and 
please  remember  that,  however  much  I  may  differ  from  you  in 
opinion,  I  shall  always  love  you,  and  shall  noA^er  think  you  will  do 
aught  but  what  you  believe  to  be  7'iglit." 

We  are  very  glad  this  letter  was  written,  as  it  gives  us  an 
opportunity  of  correcting  some  little  "  misunderstoods." 

The  first  error  which  we  note  is  one  that  we  foresaw  and  men- 
tioned in  the  beginning  of  this  book,  namely,  —  giving  all  the 
credit,  or  discredit,  as  the  case  might  be,  to  the  instrument 
througli  which  the  same  was  transmitted. 

As  to  the  "  pecuniary  success  "  of  the  book,  it  was  written  with 
no  such  purpose  or  intent;  had  there  been  no  higher  aim  in  view, 
it  would  never  have  been  before  the  public. 

A  reverend  brother  of  ours,  who  has  been  for  years  a  zealous 
worker  in  the  cause,  informs  us  that  though  several  thousand 
copies  of  a  work  which  he  published  have  been  sold,  he  has  not 
made  a  dollar  from  it  yet,  at  the  same  time  is  accused  of  doing  it 
to  make  money. 

Next,  we  find  "  your  ideas  of  free  love,  matrimony,  etc."  We 
will  take  the  first,  giving  a  quotation  from  the  book  ("  Misun- 
derstood ")  concerning  the  same :  — 


THE    UNSEALED    BOOK.  55 

"  There  never  has  been,  there  never  can  be, 

A  love  upon  earth,  a  love  in  the  sky. 
Other  than  this,  —  a  love  which  is  free  I 

Love  is  unlike  every  other  thing, 
You  cannot  control  it  by  force  of  will, 

Nor  can  you  hy  force  the  sentiment  bring. 
It  must  be  spontaneous,  it  must  be  free, 

Else  it  is  not  love." 

This  assertion  is  true,  and  we  shall  it  maintain ;  against  love 
there  is  no  law,  neither  can  there  be,  for  "  God  is  love  "  and  love 
is  born  of  God. 

Eegarding  matrimony,  we  claim  it  must  be  based  upon  love 
alone,  to  be  sanctioned  by  the  great  All- Wise;  anything  short  of 
this  is  adultery  in  the  eyes  of  Him  who  "  looketh  upon  the 
heart."  As  to  token  the  world  should  be  so  ruled  by.  love  that  we 
should  need  no  laws  in  this  respect,  we  did  not  pretend  to  fix  the 
date,  althougli  the  answer  will  be  found  in  the  following  quota- 
tion from  said  book  :  — 

" '  God  and  not  woman  is  the  head  of  all '  ; 
'For  thy  Maker  is  thine  husband'; 
When  all  have  learned  to  recognize  this  truth, 
The  true  marriage  will  have  been  established  ; 
When  he  that  is  married  careth  more  for 
The  things  'that  belong  to  the  Lord  '  than  for  those 
Which  belong  to  his  wife,  and  when  the  wife 
Careth  more  for  the  things  which  '  please  the  Lord  * 
Than  for  the  things  whicli  may  please  her  husband, 
When  both  become  '  holy  in  body  and  in  spirit,' 
These  things  will  strengthen  the  bond  ; 
They  will  need  no  law  to  bind  them  to  it." 

When  this  time  does  arrive,  as  we  have  said,  people  will  bo  a 
"law  unto  themselves,"  not  only  in  this  respect,  but  in  all  re- 
spects. "  The  law  is  not  made  for  a  righteous  man,  but  for  the  law- 
less and  disobedient,  for  the  ungodly  and  for  sinners."  That 
the  world  contains  many  such,  and  doubtless  will  do  so  for  gen- 
erations to  come,  who  can  only  be  kept  in  check  by  law,  we  do  not 
pretend  to  deny ;  we  have,  however,  endeavored  to  make  it  plain 
to  you  that  it  is  not  free  love,  or  any  other  love,  Avhich  makes 
the  law  a  necessity,  but  lust,  which  ye  yourselves  make  free, 
and  then  endeavor  to  confound  with  it ;  (they  will  no  more  mix 


56  THE    UNSEALED   BOOK. 

than  will  oil  and  water.)  Not  satisfied  with  this,  you  strive  to 
"wash  your  hands"  clear  of  the  whole  matter  by  casting  it  as  a 
reproach  upon  Spiritualism ;  linking  them  together  in  your  con- 
versation as  if  they  "twain  were  one  flesh,"  when  in  reality 
Spiritualism  is  no  more  closely  allied  to  these  things  than  is  any 
other  sect  or  ism,  A  celebrated  clergyman  thus  writes  of  Spir- 
itualism:  "  Many  suppose  it  gives  license  to  the  animal  part  of 
our  nature,  while  the  reverse  is  true.  We  can  safely  say  that 
during  the  score  of  years  we  have  been  investigating  it  from 
Boston  to  Louisiana,  we  have  never  found  higher  motives  for 
purity  of  heart  and  life  than  we  have  always  found  in  the  teach- 
ings from  this  source."  I  candidly  believe  if  the  "  bottom  facts  " 
were  known,  there  would  be  found  less  corruption  and  impurity 
among  Spiritualists  than  among  any  other  class  of  people ;  your 
own  words  even,  bear  me  out  in  this,  when  you  speak  of  the 
*'  hidden  lives  "  of  those  who  are  considered  "  upright  and  honor- 
able." I  have  known  a  great  many  Spiritualists,  but  have  never 
been  intimately  acquainted  with  one  whom  I  believe  would  thus 
debase  his  or  her  soul.  I  think  all  true  Spiritualists  will  indorse 
our  opinion. 

A  word  as  to  these  "  hidden  lives. "  It  is  one  of  the  great  pur- 
poses of  the  spirit  world  to  bring  these  same  to  light ;  and  the 
day  is  coming  when  they  shall  no  longer  be  hidden.  "  Yea,  more 4 
the  time  is  not  distant  when  the  conviction  of  the  presence  of 
spirit  friends  shall  be  so  clear,  that  men  shall  understand  how 
the  hidden  things  of  this  world  are  to  be  revealed,  and  men 
shall  hnoio  that  they  walk,  speak,  and  sin  in  the  presence  of  an- 
gels ivho  can  reveal  all."  A  foreshadowing  of  this  truth  is  even 
now  upon  the  minds  of  the  people,  and  is  the  principal  reason 
why  so  many  are  afraid  to  investigate  the  subject  of  Spiritualism. 
Of  course  those  who  are  in  reality  "  upuaght  and  honorable  "  have 
nothing  to  fear;  those  who  are  falsely  considered  so  may  well 
tremble,  for  they  have  nearly  "  had  their  day." 

Instead  of  thinking  with  you  that  "  virtue  "  is  a  thing  of  "  the 
past,"  we  think  it  was  hardly  known  in  the  past,  but  is  to  he  in 
the  future,  when  "  all  hearts  are  open,  all  desires  known,"  and 
when  "  no  secrets  are  hid." 

We  would  here  say  that  the  above  communication  is  not  to  be 
considered  in  the  slightest  degree  a  personal  one.  It  is  such  an 
one  as  the  subject  demanded  from  us,  and  from  the  bearings  of 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  57 

the  letter,  we  took  occasion  to  give  it  forth  ;  at  the  same  time  be- 
lieving the  writer  thereof  to  be  not  only  "  considered  "  upright 
and  honorable,  but  to  be  so,  in  every  sense  of  the  word,  and  one 
whose  character  is  above  suspicion. 

As  for  letter  number  three, 
Long  will  it  remembered  be  : 
Sweet  home  flowers  !     Precious  token 
Of  friendship  pure,  unshaken. 

"  He  sent  from  above,  he  took  me,  he  drew  me  out  of  many 
waters." 

Yea,  he  made  my  heart  once  more  to  rejoice  and  feel  the  warmth 
and  sunshine  of  his  love : 

He  smiled  upon  me,  and  blessed  my  labors  of  love  ;  he  made  the 
earth  once  more  to  look  bright  and  blossom  as  the  rose. 

He  made  me  to  feel  that  friends  I  had,  both  warm  and  true ; 
not  only  the  long  tried,  but  new  ones  raised  he  up  to  me. 

Yea,  in  a  land  of  strangers,  and  they  took  me  in,  they  gave  me 
bread  and  meat. 

They  gave  mo,  too,  their  counsels  wise,  their  warm  and  loving 
sympathy,  and  cheered  my  heart  when  lone  and  sad. 

For  this,  0  Lord,  I  bless  thy  name  and  all  thy  goodness 
own. 

Keep  me,  0  God,  from  sin ;  help  me  thy  work  to  do  in  thine 
appointed  way. 

Bless  these,  my  friends,  and  recompense  their  kindly  deeds  and 
acts  of  love. 

Teach  them,  teach  us,  0  Lord,  to  trust  in  thee,  and  verily  we 
shall  be  fed. 

Alas,  alas  !     How  weak,  bow  frail  am  1 1 
How  vain  the  lofty  structure  I  did  rear ! 
But  one  short  day  ago  the  earth  seemed  fair, 
My  heart  the  home  of  light  and  love  to  be ; 
Sweet  peace  did  reign  within  my  soul ;  surely, 
Thought  I,  no  earthly  storms  can  shake  again 
My  firm  unyielding  faith  in  God,  my  trust 


58  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

In  these,  my  spirit  guides,  who  have  me  led 
Through  waters  deep,  sustaining  by  their  love 
And  might  when  all  things  earthly  seemed  to  fail, 
My  soul  fast  sinking  in  despair  from  grief. 
Alas  !  I  say,  these  thoughts  were  vain ;  e'en  now 
"The  dream  is  past,"  the  lights  have  fled,  and  I 
Again  in  darkness  grope.     O,  why  must  dreams 
So  quickly  fade  ?  and  why  must  all  the  light 
Go  hence,  when  seemingly  we  need  it  most? 
Drew  He  me  from  the  waters  forth,  just  for 
One  breath  of  sweet  fresh  air,  and  then  must  I 
Be  plunged  again  ;  and  deeper,  deeper  still  ? 
Am  I  so  deeply  stained  by  sin,  that  this 
Alone,  can  cleanse  my  soul  and  purify 
My  heart?     'T  was  said  by  one  of  olden  time, 
"A  man's  heart  deviseth  his  way :  but  the 
Lord  directeth  his  steps."     He  seems  not  so 
To  do  by  me.     Is  it  because  I'm  only 
A  woman?     Nay,  I  think  that  cannot  be. 
For  his  "  ways  are  equal,"  ( I  would  that  men's 
Were  so  !)     Why,  then,  doth  he  hide  his  face  ? 
The  proverb  seems  reversed  to  me  ;  he  permits 
Me  not  to  devise  my  ways  ;  my  angel 
Guides,  His  messengers,  do  that,  and  then,  leave 
All  the  rest  to  me,  directing  not  my 
Steps  ;  at  least  it  so  unto  me  seems.     I  . 
Here  had  found  a  resting-place,  although  'twas 
From  my  home  afar,  beneath  a  stranger's 
Roof;  yet  these  had  been  unto  me  kind.     I 
Loved  them  well,  and  gladly  would  with  them 
Remain  for  times  to  come  :  but  no.     "Go  forth," 
They  say,  "  another  mission  to  perform. 
No  longer  must  ye  tarry  here,  for  other 
Work  have  you  to  do."     I  ask  the  time,  the 
Way,  the  means;  and  what  reply?     Silence 
Profound.     They  once  had  said,  "  Further  south." 
'When  shall  it  be,  where  shall  it  be,  and  howf 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  59 

My  purse  is  empty  :  I  cannot  go  "without 

Money  and  without  price  "  !     Even  could  I, 

The  way  I  know  not,  neither  the  work  ;  then 

Why,  I  say,  do  these  my  angel  friends  refuse 

Their  aid  to  lend  ?     Silence  I  've  borne  from 

Earthly  friends,  yet  that  with  this  could  not 

Compare  ;  since  long  ago  I  left  them  all, 

My  spirit  work  to  do  :  from  them  it  seems 

Not  half  so  strange,  so  hard  to  bear,  as  from 

The  dear  ones  "  gone  before,"  who  know  full  well 

My  griefs  and  cares.     A  friend  doth  say,  "  'Tis  but 

A  passing  cloud,  fear  not,  for  He  will  lead 

Thee  in  paths  thou  hast  not  known,  and  will  also 

The  crooked  ways  make  plain."     God  grant  it  may 

Be  so,  for  "  tears  have  been  my  meat  day  and 

Night,  "  while  to  my  heart  I  continually  say, 

"  Where  is  now  thy  God  ?  "     Deep  calleth  unto 

Deep,  yet  they  answer  not ;  the  light  is  all 

Darkness,  else  my  eyes  are  blinded  that  I 

Cannot  see  the  light,  or  the  way  to  go.  • 

My  prayers  and  my  tears  alike  seem  vain. 

But  list  I  an  angel  whisper  borne  on  the 

Breeze  :  "  Be  still  and  know  that  I  am  God."     Yea, 

Gladly  will  I  be  still  and  wait  for  thee. 

'T  is  all  that  I  can  do  ;  no  power  have  I 

Of  myself  to  help  myself.     I  '11  gladly 

"  Eest  in  thee."     "  Shall  not  God  search  this  out  ? 

For  he  knowcth  the  secrets  of  the  heart." 

"  As  the  hart  panteth  after  the  water 

Brooks,  so  panteth  my  soul  after  thee,  O 

God." 

Here  cometh  a  letter  from  one  who  is  kind  and  true  hearted, 
who  loves  both  me  and  the  cause  which  I  espouse.  Note  the  con- 
tents :  — 

"I  have  read  a  little  at  a  time  in  your  book  often,  and  it  has 
been  good  for  me.    After  reading  I  feel  as  if  I  could  go  on  with 


60  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

the  duties  of  life  more  faithfully,  cheerfully,  and  hopefully.  I 
wish  you  and  your  spirit  friends  to  remember  me,  and  may  the 
good  your  writings  do,  never  end.  As  I  understand  it,  spirit 
friends  dictate  and  you  write.  I  had  hoped  that  your  photograph 
would  have  been  in  the  book ;  not  that  /  forget  how  you  look,  or 
ever  expect  to,  but  it  would  have  been  pleasant  to  have  shown  it 
to  my  friends. 

I  have  it  in  my  heart  to  send  you  a  dollar ;  not  that  I  think 
you  are  writing  for  money,  but  I  hope  that  your  writings  will 

bring  you  all  that  you  need.     Mr. was  in  here ;  said  he  had 

read  your  book,  and  it  was  well  gotten  up,  but  had  no  preface.  1 
consider  the  hooh  a  preface  to  more  books  that  you  will  write,  and 
hope  your  writings  will  be  a  consolation  to  many,  and  comfort 
and  strengthen  them  in  their  path  of  duty." 

What  mystic  power  hath  words  like  these  ?     Not  all 

In  vain  our  labors  seem,  as  we  had  almost 

Feared  at  times.     If  what  we  give  doth  comfort 

Some,  and  strengthen  in  discharge  of  duty, 

A  consolation  it  will  bring  unto 

Ourselves,  who  can  but  justly  claim  the  small 

Amount  of  credit  due  the  instrument 

Through  which  it  come.     Our  willingness  is  all 

Our  plea  ;  our  highest  endeavor  should  be 

To  keep  ourselves  in  tune,  that  no  discordant 

Notes  go  forth  to  mar  the  truth  and  beauty 

Of  the  teachings  conveyed  through  our  frail  powers. 

Thou  dear  kind  friend,  we  \W11  indeed  thee  in 

Eemembrance  keep.     Thy  life  hath  had  its  "  ups 

And  downs,"  its  trials  sore  and  hard  to  bear. 

From  sorrow's  cup  thou  deep  hast  drunk,  thy  heart 

Hath  too  been  racked  with  pain  for  those  unto 

Thee  near  and  dear,  who  still  in  earthly 

Habitations  dwell.     Through  all  these  years  of 

Change  and  chance  (if  chance  it  be)  thou  hast  the 

Gem  of  faith  kept  bright,  and  showTi  thyself  a 

Mother  kind  and  true  to  those  intrusted 

To  your  care.     We  love  thee  well,  we  thank  thee 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  61 

For  thy  words  of  sweet  encouragement ;  they 

Are  as  manna  to  a  hungry  soul ;  we 

Also  appreciate  the  kindness  of  your 

Warm,  generous  heart,  whose  impulse  is  to 

Us  assist ;  thy  money,  dear  one,  we  must 

Decline,  for  others  there  are  nearer  to 

Thee  akin  who  need  it  more.     Our  thanks  and 

Blessing  all  the  same  we  gratefully  bestow  : 

May  angels  pure  and  holy  thee  attend 

Guiding  unto  thy  home  above. 

Last  night 

There  came  to  me  a  friend  ;  I  say  a  friend, 

And  yet  I  never  saw  or  heard  of  him 

Before.     The  angels  him  did  send  I  'm  sure, 
Or  rather  did  conduct  him  here,  for  not 

Alone  came  he  :  a  double  purpose  in 

His  coming  I  do  see,  — encouragement 

Unto  myself,  also  a  matter  to 

Search  out.     To  him  is  given  food  for  thought, 

A  mystery  to  solve.     Beginning  with 

The  first  of  these  :  by  conversation  I 

Did  find  his  native  town  was  near  mine  own. 

He  left  the  same  long  years  ago,  his  mind 

Intent  on  college  lore.     His  studies  he 

A  time  pursued,  then  joined  the  ranks  of 

Soldiers  filed  to  liberate  the  slave  from 

Bondage.     A  brave  soldier  he  may  have  been, 

But  for  all  that  his  heart  was  captured  by 

One  of  the  foe,  — a  girl,  the  "most  beautiful 

Creature  he  ever  saw."     The  result  you 

May  guess.     As  't  is  "  home  where  the  heart  is," 

He  has  since  dwelt  South  ;  says  he  has  "  one  of 

The  very  best  wives  that  ever  lived,  only 

One  thing  is  lacking  in  her,  —  she 's  not 

Musical."     Ten  years  have  elapsed  since 

He  has  visited  his  early  home.     He 

Had  many  friends  whose  names  were  familiar 


62  THE   mfSEALED   BOOK. 

To  me,  some  few  with  whom  I  had  been 
Personally  acquainted.     Of  these  we 
Conversed ;  and  to  me,  who  for  months  had  not 
Met  with  an  individual  who  had 
Ever  set  eyes  on  a  person  that  I 
Knew,  it  was  a  rare  treat. 

His  object  in  coming  to  me  I  will  now  relate.  He  had  heard 
of  me  as  a  spiritual  medium ;  said  he  was  not  a  believer  in  spirit 
communion,  from  the  fact  that  he  could  obtain  no  evidence  of  the 
same.  He  believed  himself  to  be  open  to  conviction ;  had  several 
times  witnessed  the  "table-tipping";  but  the  moment  he  laid  his 
hands  thereon,  all  demonstrations  ceased ;  said  if  he  could  con- 
verse with  his  own  mother,  he  should  be  convinced,  and  it  would 
give  him  much  pleasure.  Another  friend  of  mediumistic  powers 
being  present,  we  first  sat  to  ascertain  the  rule  of  action ;  were 
informed  that  our  visitor  had  a  spirit  friend  present,  who  would 
like  to  give  his  name,  and  converse  with  him.  We  inquired  if  our 
friend  should  put  his  hands  on  the  table.  They  said,  "  Yes " ; 
and  he  did  so.  Our  hands,  as  usual,  had  been  placed  lightly  on 
the  table,  which  was  quite  a  heavy  one.  Before  he  laid  his  hands 
upon  it,  however,  it  came  up  with  a  light,  easy  movement,  as  if  it 
had  been  but  a  feather's  weight,  rapping  out  replies  to  all  of  our 
questions.  The  moment  he  placed  his  hands  thereon,  all  was  as 
silent  as  the  grave,  the  table  seemed  as  firm  and  immovable  as  if 
it  had  been  nailed  to  the  floor. 

We  sat  there  a  long  time,  but  no  "  voice  nor  sound  "  broke  the 
stillness,  until  our  friend  removed  his  hands  from  the  table,  when 
it  again  raised  lightly  up,  and  we  endeavored  by  questionings  to 
solve  the  mystery.  This  we  could  not  do,  but  obtained  a  promise 
that  it  should  be  done  at  some  future  time.  The  spirit  who  wished 
to  converse  with  our  friend  then  gave  his  name,  and  lo  !  it  was 
a  soldier-companion  who  had  been  shot  doion  at  his  side;  further- 
more, he  was  from  my  native  town.  His  family  I  knew,  but  was 
entirely  ignorant  of  the  time,  place,  and  circumstances  of  his  death. 
Our  friend,  who  well  knew  the  particulars  regarding  the  same, 
then  inquired  of  him  thereof,  and  every  question  was  correctly 
ansiuered.  The  name  of  the  place  at  which  he  was  killed  was 
spelled  out,  the  date,  hour  of  the  day,  etc.,  given,  with  sundry 
other  tests  proving  his  identity  beyond  a  doubt  (to  us  at  least). 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  63 

The  following  message  was  also  given:  "You  will  be  convinced 
of  this  truth  tlirough  me  if  I  can  have  the  right  conditions."  We 
asked  what  those  conditions  were ;  and  he  gave  us  to  understand 
that  he  was  a  trance  medium,  doubtless  thinking  if  he  could  have 
an  opportunity  to  talk  '-'face  to  face"  with  his  friend,  he  could  no 
longer  doubt. 

That  the  eyes  of  hia  understanding  may  be  opened,  is  our  fervent 
desire  and  prayer. 

This,  dear  friends,  is  but  one  instance  of  the  proofs  of  spirit 
communion  which  are  daily  occurring  in  our  midst,  stirring  the 
surface  of  the  soil,  awakening  the  minds  of  the  people,  and  en- 
grossing their  time  and  attention  ;  not  only  giving  them  food  for 
thought,  but  inspiring  them  to  put  that  thought  into  action; 
some  in  one  direction,  and  some  in  another,  "to  the  end  that  their 
glory  may  sing  praises  to  thee,  0  Lord,  and  not  be  silent."  Noble 
and  intelligent  minds  are  being  impressed  to  write  the  thoughts 
given  them  by  wise  and  truthful  spirits  from  a  higher  sphere.  The 
Lord,  through  his  appointed  agencies,  is  preparing  to  break  down 
and  scatter  the  walls  of  superstition  and  ignorance  by  which  the 
people  have  been  hemmed  in  on  every  side.  For  this,  0  Lord,  we 
praise  and  bless  thy  glorious  name,  praying  thee  for  a  furtherance 
of  the  same  in  thine  own  appointed  way,  by  thy  well-chosen  means 
and  instruments.  We  know  little  of  this  people,  so  far  as  worldly 
wealth  and  knowledge  are  concerned,  yet  of  this  are  we  assured  • 
many  are  seeking  the  true  wisdom  from  on  high,  which  neither 
gold  or  silver  can  buy. 

"  There  be  four  things  which  be  little  upon  the  earth,  but  they 
are  exceeding  wise : 

The  ants  are  a  people  not  strong,  yet  they  prepare  their  meat  in 
the  summer. 

The  conies  are  but  a  feeble  folk,  yet  make  they  their  houses  in 
the  rocks. 

The  locusts  have  no  king,  yet  they  go  forth  all  of  them  by 
bands. 

The  spider  taketh  hold  with  her  hands,  and  is  in  kings'  pal- 
aces." 

Wilt  thou,  0  Lord,  vouchsafe  to  hear  our  prayer  in  behalf  of 
this  people;  though  they  be  "not  strong  "  as  yet,  may  they  in- 
crease more  and  more  in  the  knowledge  and  love  of  thee,  and  of 
thy  manifold  works. 


64  THE    UNSEALED   BOOK. 

And  may  they,  in  the  summer  of  their  lives  on  earth,  prepare 
for  themselves  both  meat  and  drink  spiritual,  from  which  their 
souls  shall  be  fed  in  the  bright  summer-land  toward  which  their 
hopes  and  labors  tend. 

May  they,  like  the  conies,  "build  their  houses  in  the  rocks," 
Jesus  Christ  the  righteous  being  the  chief  corner-stone. 

Like  the  locusts  may  they  have  no  earthly  king,  but  each  one 
go  forth,  guided  and  directed  by  his  own  spirit  band,  which  same 
will  him  protect,  nor  suffer  to  be  led  astray. 

May  we  not  also  hope  these  mediums  of  God's  mercy  and 
love  may,  by  their  "faith  and  good  works,"  make  manifest 
the  spiritual  element  of  the  same  in  its  purity  and  truth, 
and  be  enabled  in  time,  like  the  spider,  to  enter  even  "kings' 
palaces." 

These  things,  0  Lord,  will  ye  do  unto  them,  and  forsake  them 
not. 

0  my  friends  beloved,  my  heart  is  filled  with  deep  emotions  and 
strong;  some  of  pleasure  mingled  with  much  of  pain.  I  take 
pleasure  in  the  atmosphere  which  I  breathe,  and  rejoice  in  the 
society  of  hearts  and  minds  congenial  to  mine  own,  whose  souls 
also  take  delight  in  those  things  which,  as  Ave  are  daily  assured, 
"  please  the  Lord."  But  "  the  heart  knowcth  its  own  bitterness," 
and  in  all  our  lives  the  bitter  is  mingled  with  the  sweet.  As  you 
well  know,  I  'm  but  a  stranger  and  a  sojourner  in  the  land.  These 
people  are  not  my  people,  although  their  God  is  my  God,  and  with 
them  I  rejoice  and  glorify  his  holy  name  for  all  his  wondrous 
works.  And  then,  my  friends,  will  come  to  me  distressing 
thoughts  and  sad,  of  another  people,  beloved  and  cherished  still 
by  me,  but  "  0,  how  lofty  are  their  eyes !  and  their  eyelids  are 
lifted  up."  Yea,  wise  are  they  in  their  own  conceits  ;  thinking 
their  own  righteousness  doth  exceed  the  righteousness  of  many  of 
God's  chosen  and  elect,  who  are  beneatli  them  in  point  of  worldly 
honor  and  estate.  I  speak  not  now  of  myself,  nor  are  the  pains  I 
bear  so  much  for  me  as  for  those  who  have  shut  the  door  of  their 
hearts  lest  the  "  spirit  of  truth  "  should  enter  therein.  It  doth 
seem  to  me  strange,  a  mystery  beyond  compare,  that  earth  friends 
can  treat  their  dear  ones  gone  before  with  sucli  undisguised  cool- 
ness, giving  them  not  the  slightest  opportunity  of  making  them- 
selves or  their  conditions  known.  I  wonder  not  that  such  as  these 
cling  fondly  to  their  earth-born  hopes,  and  shrink  from  death's 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  65 

embrace,  trembling  with  fear  at  his  near  approach;  for  "king  of 
terrors  "  is  his  name  to  them. 

0  what,  clear  friends,  would  be  your  fate,  if  these  in  turn  should 
you  desert  in  that,  to  you,  sad,  trying  hour  ?  should  fail  your  spiv- 
its  to  conduct  unto  that  home  which  they,  in  love,  have  helped 
prepare  for  you  ?  Sometimes,  loved  ones,  when  thoughts  like 
these  fill  all  my  soul,  I  long  on  bended  knee  before  each  one  to 
pray,  beseech,  enforce  a  knowledge  of  the  same.  My  life  for  this 
1  would  resign.  You  will  doubtless  think  that  of  little  worth, 
either  unto  myself  or  you,  since  I  have  given  you  to  know,  death 
would  be  to  me  a  "  sweet  release."  But,  friends,  mine  own  dear 
ones,  there  Avas  a  time,  and  that  not  long  agonc,  when  life  to 
me  seemed  bright  and  fair.  I  had  no  wish  to  leave,  even  for  a 
brighter  home  I  could  but  feel  awaited  me.  I  also  thought  tlie 
time  was  near  at  hand,  and  what  I  had  here  to  do  must  be  "  done 
quickly."  The  work  in  which  I  was  engaged  I  felt  would  bo  my 
last  on  earth.  I  was  inspired  to  work  with  zeal  when  health  and 
strength  seemed  failing  fast.  This  work  I  must  not  leave  unlin- 
ished.  There  were  three  obvious  reasons  for  its  accomplishment : 
my  own  peace  of  mind  ;  the  satisfaction  of  my  spirit  guides,  who 
directed  and  controlled  my  efforts  for  the  purpose;  and  last,  bat 
not  least,  my  beloved  friends,  the  hope  of  awakening  in  your  own 
minds  a  desire  to  search  for  this  knowledge,  and  that  ye  might 
seek  for  it  as  for  "hid  treasures."  Am  I  satisfied  ?  I  surely  have 
great  peace  of  mind.  I  have  reason  to  believe  that  my  i^pirit 
friends  are  rejoiced  at  what  they  have  been  enabled  to  accomplish 
through  me.  Spiritualhj,  I  have  great  cause  for  thankfulness. 
Although  in  the  world  I  have  had  much  tribulation,  and  have, 
because  of  this  work  and  this  faith,  been  made  to  feel  that  many 
dear  earthly  friends,  in  whose  behalf  Avere  these  labors,  have  tram- 
pled upon  the  same.  I  entered  not  thoughtlessly  into  this  work, 
nor  was  I  wholly  unprepared  for  the  contemptuous  reception  of 
the  same  by  you.  I  ofttimes  felt,  while  writing,  like  one  who 
"sweareth  to  his  own  hurt,  and  changeth  not."  Xor  have  I 
changed,  dear  friends,  in  my  love  toward  you  ;  my  desire  to  you 
aid  grows  with  my  groAvth  in  spiritual  knowledge,  and  strength- 
ens with  my  strength  of  purpose.  I  am  persuaded  tliat  the  Lord 
hath  begun  a  good  Avork  in  your  hearts,  although  as  yet  ye  are 
unAvilling  to  acknoAvledgc  the  same.  Had  I  changed,  dear  friend.--. 
I  should  be  elscAvise  employed.    Instead  of  penning  Avhat  I  do 


66  THE    UNSEALED    BOOK. 

here,  and  seeming  to  you  reproach,  I  should  return  to  you,  and  on 
bended  knee  beseech  of  you  —  what?  Surely  not  to  look  after 
jonr  oivn  souW  needs ;  nay,  but  simply  to  overlook  and  forgive 
all  that  may  have  been  said  or  written  to  disturb  the  equanimity 
of  your  own  self-conceit;  steadfastly  promising  you  that,  from 
this  time  forward,  the  unwelcome  subject  should  not  be  so  much 
as  named  among  you,  or  in  any  manner  brought  before  the  public, 
lest  your  own  shortcomings  be  made  manifest,  and  you  appear 
before  the  world  in  the  same  light  which  your  own  heart  tells  yon, 
He  that  looketh  upon  the  heart  alone  doth  not  in  all  things  ap- 
prove. Were  I  in  pursuit  of  earthly  friends,  and  were  that  my 
highest  intent,  this  would  surely  be  my  course  of  action;  and  it 
may  not  be  amiss  to  add,  that  whatever  has  been  or  may  be  said, 
by  or  through  me,  which  may  seem  harsh  or  unjust  to  yourselves, 
proceeds  from  no  bitterness  or  unkindly  feeling  toward  any,  but 
from  a  desire  to  establish  the  truth.  While  we  firmly  believe  that 
the  "wounds  of  a  friend"  are  faithful,  and  that  "open  rebuke  is 
better  than  secret  love,"  we  know  that  they  are  not  so  received  or 
understood  by  those  who  have  attained  but  a  small  degree  of 
heavenly  wisdom.  We  are  assured  that  many  things  which  are 
hidden  from  the  worldly-wise  and  prudent  are  revealed  unto  babes 
in  Christ,  and  that  "  they  are  all  plain  to  him  that  understand- 
eth,  and  right  to  them  that  find  knowledge." 

"  The  sluggard  is  wiser  in  his  own  conceit  than  seven  men  that 
can  render  a  ■reason" 

"  Reprove  not  a  scorner,  lest  he  hate  thee.  Rebuke  a  wise  man 
and  he  will  love  thee." 

"As  the  bird  by  wandering,  as  the  swallow  by  flying,  so  the 
curse  CAUSELESS  shall  not  come." 

"When  wisdom  entereth  into  thine  heart,  and  knowledge  is 
pleasant  unto  thy  soul,  discretion  shall  preserve  thee,  understand- 
ing shall  keep  thee. 

She  is  a  tree  of  life  to  them  that  lay  hold  upon  her." 

My  dear  home  friends  !  to  you  my  heart  doth  cling 

Tenderly,  fondly,  lovingly,  Idndly  ; 

Yet  for  myself  no  boon  from  thee  I  crave, 

Not  e'en  to  lay  my  bones  within  your 

Churchyard  pale,  to  mingle  with  their  native 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  67 

Dust ;  your  faces  I  no  more  may  see  on 

This  side  heaven,  except  in  dreams,  or  in 

Imagination  fair  ;  yet  in  my  heart. 

Deeply  engraved,  are  images  which  time 

Nor  distance  can  eflace  ;  fond  mem'ry  dwells 

On  these,  with  scenes  once  bright  and  fair, 

But  now,  alas  !  "  all  gone,  all  gone  "  from  me, 

Or  I  from  them,  it  matters  little  which  ; 

But  O,  my  head,  my  heart !  which  pain  is  most 

Severe  ?     1  cannot  tell,  I  can  but  weep  : 

Tears  blind  mine  eyes  while  this  I  wi'ite ;  the  fount 

Of  grief  I  thought  was  sealed  for  aye,  bursts  forth 

Afresh,  and  threatens  to  my  reason  overthrow. 

"  When  I  am  weak  then  am  I  strong,"  I  oft 

Have  said,  but  now,  alas  !  'tis  all  turned  round, 

I  thought  myself  quite  strong,  but  find  instead 

How  weak  I  am,  how  little  1  can  meekly 

Bear  ;  again,  it  was  my  purpose  now  to 

Only  talk  to  you  of  spirits  dear,  who 

Are  to  you  closely  allied  in  friendship 

And  in  sympathy  ;  when  self  comes  looming 

Up  between,  thus  scatt'ring  all  the  better 

Thoughts  which  should  engage  my  mind  and  heart. 

Away  with  self !  and  selfish  grief,  avauut ! 

Let  wisdom  guide,  and  love  direct  my  heart 

And  brain. 

My  friends,  I  left  you  here,  for  O, 
Mine  aching  head  and  saddened  heart  prevented 
More  ;  sweet  balmy  sleep  the  former  did  restore, 
A  vision  did  the  shadows  from  my  heart 
Disperse.     It  came  to  me  in  silent  watches 
Of  the  night ;  an  angel  stood  beside  ray 
Bed  and  thus  unto  me  spoke  :  "  Thou  art  a 
Cat's  paw  to  release  souls  from  the  burning 
Sins  of  ignorance."     A  moment's  silence 
And  the  scene  was  changed.     I  sat  in  a 
Familiar  room  before  au  open  fire,  whose 


68  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

Embers  fast  were  dying  out,  though  still  alive ; 

I  was,  as  now,  far  from  my  home  ;  in  an 

Adjoining  room  a  friend  unto  me  dear 

Seemed  l3usily  engaged,  when  all  at  once 

Her  angel  guide  said  unto  her,  "  Sister, 

Pray."     She  bowed  herself  and  earnestly  poured 

Forth  her  soul  in  prayer ;  the  words  I  could  not 

Catch  (if  words  indeed  they  were  at  all)  ;  the 

Sounds  which  came  to  me,  in  murmurs  soft  and 

Low,  seemed  not  the  voice  of  owe,  but  many 

In  the  distance  ;  their  earnestness  did  seem 

To  set  my  soul  on  fire  ;  just  then  my  spirit 

Guide  spoke  once  again  this  single  word,  "Write." 

I  instantly  complied  with  his  request. 

An  inspiration  seized  my  soul,  and  rapidly 

The  lines  I  penned.     My  friend  kept  praying  on. 

Her  prayers,  as  they  ascended  high,  did  seem 

The  inspiration  to  enhance  ;  my  soul 

Was  filled  with  ecstasy  at  thought  of  what 

Would  come  of  this  :  and  with  these  thoughts 

The  work  kept  pace,  till  suddenly  the  dream 

Was  past,  and  I  awoke.    A  dream  I  say, 

Yet  well  I  know  it  was  not  all  a  dream. 

For  oft  at  night  these  visions  come  to  me  ; 

Sometimes  I  can  the  same  interpret ;  when 

This  I  fiiil  to  do,  my  spirit  friends  who 

Give  the  same  do  lend  their  aid,  and  make  it 

All  unto  me  clear.     So  when  the  morning 

Light  doth  come,  I  '11  ask  them  to  this  one 

Explain,  and  give  its  meaning  unto  you. 

When  I  awoke  the  moon  was  shining  brightly : 

At  first  I  thought  't  was.  dawn  of  day,  but  soon 

The  clock  struck  three,  and  I  was  undeceived  ; 

(I  wish,  my  friends,  that  you  would  read  a  book 

Which  doth  this  title  bear,  "  The  Clock  struck  Three  "  ; 

Methinks  it  might  you  undeceive,  and  help 

To  break  from  error's  chain.)     I  tried  in  vain 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  69 

To  close  mine  ejes  and  slumber  on ;  no  rest 
Had  I  till  from  my  couch  I  did  arise 
And  write  this  vision  as  you  see. 

The  morn 
Hath  dawned  ;  and  though  't  is  neither  bright  or  fair, 
My  heart  is  light  compared  with  yesterday  : 
For  visions  float  before  mine  eyes  of  what 
May  he  in  after  years.     O,  shall  I  then 
From  yon  bright  sky  behold  rejoicingly 
The  scene  ?     I  promised  you  the  meaning  of 
My  last  night's  dream,  so  now  that  promise  I  '11 
Fulfil,  for  he  who  gave  it  me  hath  it 
To  me  explained.     The  fire  he  said  did 
Represent  the  "  burning  sins  of  ignorance  "  ; 
While  the  "  friend "'  from  whom  those  prayers  went  forth 
Did  signify  a  people  strong  ;  that  people, 
Friends,  your  own  dear  selves.     "Her  angel  guide,"  of 
Course,  a  simile  of  vour  own  beloved 
Spirit  guides,  who,  even  now,  had  some  induced 
To  fervently  "  seek  truth  and  live  "  ;  from  these 
Did  float  sweet  incense  to  the  skies.     And  your 
Dear  ones  caught  up  the  strain  and  wafted  it 
Unto  mine  own  angeUc  band,  while  they, 
In  turn,  the  joyful  news  conveyed  to  me, 
Awaking  again  to  life  my  fast 
Declining  hopes,  inspiring  each  long-dormant 
Key  its  shmib'ring  genius  to  pour  forth  in 
Language  not  mine  own.     The  earnest  prayers  had 
Been  just  what  they  seemed,  voices  and  sounds  from 
Many  hearts,  nnn-nnired  rather  than  spoken  ;  no 
Form  of  words  couhl  yet  express  the  same  ;  and 
Then,  my  friends,  he  kindly  did  my  soul  remind 
Of  that  dear  "  boon  "  I  was  of  you  about 
To  crave.     I  have  more  courage  now  to  speak, 
For  some,  I  feel  assured,  will  lovingly 
The  same  consider,  and  bring  about  a 
Good  result,  a  twofold  blessing  undisguised. 


70  THE    UNSEALED   BOOK. 

This  boon,  as  I  have  said,  is  not  for  me  ; 

'Tis  for  your  own  in  spirit  laud.     O,  how 

They  love  !  and  how  they  long  their  love  to  tell 

To  you,  who  will  not,  dare  not  heed  !     Ask  ye 

How  I  a  knowledge  of  your  friends  have  gained  ? 

Many  an  one  to  me  has  come,  yea,  in 

Sadness  come,  because  —  they  could  not 

Come  "  unto  their  own  "  and  he  received.     In 

Yain  have  they  knocked  at  the  door  of  your  hearts  ; 

Ye  bid  them  not  to  enter  in,  nor  even  one 

Kind  word  with  them  did  offer  to  exchange. 

Again  I  ask,  How  can  you  treat  them  so  ? 

No  earthly  friend,  less  dear  by  far  than  they, 

AVbuld  ye  thus  coldly  turn  away.      O,  had 

You  seen  what  I  have  seen,  and  heard  what  I 

Have  heard,  the  mute  and  silent  grief  of  some, 

The  wild  and  frantic  cries  of  others,  who  failed 

To  make  themselves  unto  their  earth  friends  kno"UTi, 

No  further  urging  would  ye  need,  unless 

Your  hearts  are  harder  than  the  cold  and 

Selfish  world  ye  choose  to  serve.     O,  if  within 

Your  warm  and  loving  hearts,  one  spark  of  fond 

Affection  still  remains  for  them,  I  pray 

You  kindle  from  the  spark  a  flame  of  love 

Once  more,  to  light  your  pathway  here  below, 

And  lead  you  to  the  heavenly  pastures  fair 

And  large,  when  earth  and  earthly  things  grow  faint 

And  dim,  o'ershadowed  by  your  spirit  vision 

Bright  and  pure.     A  blessing  you  will  then  confer 

On  those  who  watch  and  wait  for  you ;  a  blessing 

Too  yourselves  receive,  a  bond  of  sympathy 

And  love  establish,  fkm  as  the  "  Rock  of 

Ages,"  and  lasting  as  eternity. 

Know  ye  not,  my  precious  friends,  that  Christ  did 

Teach  what  you  discard  ?     "  Long  ago  he  wept 

Over  Jerusalem  ;  to-day  he  weeps 

Over  his  mistaken  people."     To-day 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  71 

In  our  Father's  home  in  the  sky,  beloved 

Ones  are  weeping,  waiting  with  hands  outstretched 

To  feed  our  souls  with  the  bread  and  wine  of 

Celestial  love  ;  to  lift  for  us  the  veil 

Of  pride  that  shuts  from  our  sight  the  beautiful 

Spiritual  light,  that  many  in  their 

Cultivated  religion  have  hidden. 

Eeligion,  without  this  light,  is  as  barren 

And  sterile  as  the  spring  and  summer  would  be 

Without  flowers.     O,  could  you  but  see  for 

Yourselves  the  beautiful  world  that  lies  near 

You,  the  beautiful  dawn  that  is  upon 

You,  no  longer  would  you  suffer  the  curtain 

Of  prejudice  to  shut  out  the  light,  "  the 

Only  light  that  reveals  to  you  where  God 

Has  placed  your  loved  ones."     May  God  be  with  you, 

And  help  you  to  find  the  way  that  leads  you 

Into  the  fold  of  truth.     Amen. 

We  take  the  liberty  of  copying  from  the  "  American  Spiritual 
Magazine"  the  following  beautiful  lines,  which  were  breathed  by 
the  spirit  Consuela  through  an  unconscious  medium  :  — 


"CONSUELA"  TO  THE  "PILGKIM." 

"Wlien  the  dawn's  rosy  light  first  illumes  the  sky, 
The  lark  chants  her  matins,  light  winds  wander  by ; 
When  the  angel  of  dreams  lifts  her  spell  from  thy  brain, 
And  thou  wakest  to  life  and  its  labors  again, 
I  will  be  coming,  coming  to  thee. 

When  thy  soul  is  oppressed  with  its  duties  and  cares, 
There  comes  no  response  to  thy  tears  or  thy  prayers, 
When  the  wrong  shall  abound,  and  thy  toil  seem  in  vain. 
When  truth  in  the  house  of  her  children  is  slain, 
I  will  be  watching,  watching  o'er  thee. 


72  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

A  pilgrim,  a  wanderer,  long  must  thou  be, 
To  bear  our  white  banner  o'er  land  and  o'er  sea ; 
But  oh,  when  the  lone  heart  grows  weary  and  chill, 
"When  hope's  voice  is  silent,  love's  song  is  still, 
I  will  be  singing,  singing  to  thee. 

"When  the  storms  are  all  over,  the  breakers  are  past, 
Thy  foot  on  the  shore,  home  at  last,  home  at  last ! 
Sing  huzza,  shout  huzza  !  for  the  victory  won, 
Anew  o'er  the  hills  beams  thy  life's  morning  sun. 
I  shall  be  ever,  forever  with  thee  ! 


"  Home  at  last ! "  ay,  for  me  a  home  in  the 
Skies,  where  I  may  be  "  ever,  forever 
With  thee,"  my  own  dear  spirit  bard  ;  and  yet 
These  words  recall  to  mind  a  warm  and 
Cherished  earthly  friend,  who  breathed  rather  than 
Spoke  the  same,  while  clasping  me  with  kind 
Embrace.     And  was  it  home  to  me  ?  if  so. 
Home,  like  heaven,  must  have  two  definitions, 
Each  from  the  other  distinct :  the  one  a 
Location,  the  other  a  state  of  being ; 
The  first,  permanent  or  transferable  at 
"Will ;  the  second  beyond  our  power  of  control. 

I,  I,  I !  This  everlasting  big  /,  this  constantly  recurring  I,  I,  I ! 
/  wish  /  could  rule  it  out  of  my  vocabulary ;  and  yet  if  /  should, 
what  could  /  do  or  say  ?  /  might  write  it  thus,  (i) ;  but  even 
then  it  is  /  all  the  same,  however  insignificant  in  appearance; 
and  beside,  in  the  I's  (eyes)  of  the  world  it  "might  n't  be 
proper,"  as  said  a  friend,  who,  after  writing  me  a  long  letter, 
"  would  be  glad  to  hear  from  me,  but,"  etc.  There  is  no  danger 
of  my  overstepping  the  bounds  of  propriety  in  this  respect,  so 
long  as  my  friend's  good  name  is  at  stake,  in  his  own  eyes  or  in 
the  eyes  of  the  public,  however  much  I  may  differ  in  opinion ; 
not  that  I  do  differ  in  opinion  even,  in  this  case,  except  in  the  use 
of  the  word  "  proper,"  for  which  I  should  substitute  the  word 


I 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  73 

right,  and  act  according  to  my  own  convictions  of  the  same,  with- 
out regard  to  public  or  any  other  opinion  as  to  whether  it  was 
proper  or  the  reverse. 

But  this  is  a  digression.  If  we  were  to  substitute  a  small  i,  it 
would  of  course  be  attributed  to  ignorance  on  our  part,  and  would 
render  us  more  conspicuous  than  before,  and  in  a  manner  which 
might  n't  be  pleasing.  To  obviate  this  difficulty  then,  I  propose 
to  adhere  more  strictly  to  a  mode  I  have  already  adopted  at  times, 
or,  rather,  has  been  adopted  by  those  more  deeply  concerned  than 
myself.  In  other  words,  to  substitute  we  for  /.  This  seems  but 
just  to  the  kind  spirits  who,  I  am  pleased  to  believe,  control  even 
my  unspoken  thoughts.  The  plurality  of  the  expression  seems 
perfectly  right  and  proper  too,  when  we  consider  that  two  or 
more  persons  are  enlisted  in  the  service,  and,  we  fully  believe,  sanc- 
tion the  same. 

Let  us  pause  and  reflect.  A  letter  has  been  written ;  a  reply 
to  the  same  "might  n't  be  proper."  Why?  The  only  reason 
which  suggests  itself  to  our  mind  is,  the  writer  is  a  man,  the 
receiver  a  luoman.  Is  this  conclusive  reason  ?  In  the  eyes  of 
society,  yea  and  amen.  In  the  eyes  of  the  great  All- Wise,  who  is 
no  "  respecter  of  persons,"  and  who  created  both  man  and  woman, 
"  true  greatness  has  no  sex,  true  religion  no  sects."  Why  is  "  wo- 
man's sphere  "  so  much  written  and  talked  of,  while  man's  sphere 
is  an  unheard-of  thing  ?  Why  but  because  the  contracted,  nar- 
row-minded portion  of  the  community,  who,  on  account  of  their 
multitudinous  numbers,  have  so  long  ruled  the  world,  endeavor 
to  '))iake  the  sphere  of  woman  so  diminutive  that  it  can  be  spanned 
at  a  single  glance  of  the  eye  ?  While  man's  is  so  Avide  and  far- 
reaching,  no  eye  can  measure  its  greatness,  much  less  find  a  name 
comprehensive  of  the  same  ! 

A  wise  and  just  God  will  deal  with  each  of  us  according  to  the 
cleanness  of  our  hearts;  and  lie  in  whose  book  are  all  our  mem- 
bers written,  will  call  us  to  an  account  for  each  member.  In  his 
eyes  the  true  sphere  of  every  human  being  is  that  for  which  nature 
has  best  fitted  him  or  her. 

We  shall  make  some  extracts  from  the  lectures  of  one  who  de- 
serves great  "  credit  for  her  talents,  intelligence,  and  her  support 
of  popular  rights.  Although  she  wielded  much  power,  it  is  al- 
leged that  she  never  used  it  for  the  promotion  of  unworthy  per- 
sons;   or,  as  other  favorites  have  done,  for  corrupt  purposes." 


74  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

This  "eccentric"  individual  (as  tlie  newspapers  call  her)  lays 
claim  to  the  honor  of  having  caused  more  newspaper  paragraphs 
and  more  biographies  (pretended)  than  any  other  woman  living. 
Of  the  latter  she  has  herself  seen  twenty-three  or  twenty-four,  not 
one  of  which  "  came  any  nearer  being  a  biography  of  her  than  it 
did  to  being  an  authentic  history  of  the  man  in  the  moon."  As 
many  as  three  times  seven  cities  have  been  given  as  her  birth- 
place ;  and  the  laughable  thing  is,  not  one  of  these  self-imposed 
writers  has  "  hit  upon  the  real  place  of  her  birth."  She  begins  to 
doubt  whether  she  ever  had  a  father,  or  was  born  at  all,  except  in 
the  separate  brain  of  every  man  who  has  attempted  to  write  her 
history. 

After  having  given,  in  her  own  words,  the  calm  and  more  peace- 
ful portion  of  her  life,  she  says :  — 

"  What  is  to  come  is  all  storm,  excitement,  and  unrest,  and  full 
of  seeming  contradiction,  I  know  ;  but  there  is,  or  should  be,  a 
key  which,  when  possessed,  explains  the  difficult  volumes  of  our 
natures,  as  well  as  there  is  to  the  works  of  science  and  art.  I  am 
fortunate  in  this  at  least,  that  the  subject  of  my  lecture  has  noth- 
ing to  lose  by  having  the  truth  told  about  her." 

If  all  could  say  this,  the  world  would  not  know  itself,  the 
bright  millennial  dawn  would  be  upon  us  in  all  its  glorious  splen- 
dor. Equal  rights  would  not  only  be  demanded,  but  would  be 
supported  and  sustained  in  every  relation  of  life.  Whether  this 
will  or  can  be  brought  about  without  the  aid  of  the  ballot,  we  are 
unprepared  to  say;  but  there  is  much  truth  in  the  following,  and 
we  would  advise  every  true  woman  to  consider  the  dignity  of  the 
same :  — 

"  One  woman  going  forth  in  independence  and  power  of  self- 
reliant  strength  to  assert  her  individuality,  and  to  defend,  with 
whatever  means  God  has  given  her,  her  right  to  a  just  portion  of 
earth's  privileges,  will  do  more  than  a  million  of  convention- 
women  to  make  herself  known  and  felt  in  the  world.  There  is 
such  a  great  difference  between  strength  of  nmid  and  strength  of 
tongue !  Men  only  laugh  at  a  convention  of  scolds,  and  pay  no 
more  attention  to  what  they  say  than  to  the  chattering  of  a  flock 
of  blackbirds  ;  but  they  will  gaze  with  admiration  and  respect  on 
a  woman  who  sets  herself  to  a  brave  and  manly  task,  and  actually 
accomplishes  a  heroic  deed ;  but  we  shall  be  told  that  such  exam- 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  75 

pies  are  almost  solitary  cases.  No,  they  are  not.  It  will  puzzle 
any  man  to  find  in  the  pages  of  history  as  many  instances  of  real 
and  startling  heroism  in  his  sex  as  I  could  hunt  up  in  mine. 
There  have  been  whole  eras  in  which  the  heroism  of  women  shone 
out  with  a  general  lustre  which  made  it  tlie  rule  and  not  the  ex- 
ception of  her  character." 

But  do  these  women  receive  the  credit  they  deserve  ?  By  no 
means.  For  instance,  the  discovery  of  America:  what  child 
could  not  tell  you  by  whom  it  was  discovered  ?  And  yet  how  few 
of  our  learned  progenies  could  or  would  acknowledge  the  discov- 
ery of  the  same  "  due  to  the  far-sighted  sagacity  and  patronage  of 
a  woman,  Queen  Isabella  of  Aragon ;  for  when  the  king  and  his 
court  had  refused  luitli  scorn  the  petition  of  Columbus,  the  great 
discoverer  had  recourse  to  the  queen,  who  furnished  Mm  with 
mea7is  a7id  aid,  which  resulted  in  his  triumphant  success.  Our 
friend  also  writes  :  "  It  is  true  there  is  hardly  a  great  or  heroic 
woman  of  history,  whose  name  has  escaped  the  contagion  of  scan- 
dal ;  while  great  men  have  passed  measurably  unscathed,  because, 
I  suppose,  the  world  had  no  right  to  expect  any  degree  of  morality 
in  the  life  of  a  groat  man.  But  woman,  ah  !  she  must  be  a  saint, 
even  while  she  hurls  a  tyrant  from  his  throne,  and  does  the  rough 
work  of  war  and  revolution. 

"Well,  so  she  should  be,  and  thus  leave  to  man  the  entire  mo- 
nopoly of  all  the  sin  of  the  world  !  I  do  not  offer  one  excuse  for 
her  faults.  I  only  demand  that  a  great  woman  should  be  judged 
by  the  same  rules  by  which  a  great  man  is  judged.  To  descend 
from  this  higli  piano  of  public  history  into  the  private  homes  of 
the  world,  in  which  sex,  think  you,  should  we  there  find  the  pur- 
est spirit  of  heroism  ? 

Who  suffers  sorrow  and  pain  with  the  most  heroism  of  heart  ? 
Who,  in  the  midst  of  poverty,  neglect,  and  cavilling  despair,  holds 
on  most  bravely  through  the  terrible  struggle,  and  never  yields, 
even  to  the  fearful  demands  of  necessity,  until  death  wrests  tho 
last  weapon  of  defence  from  her  hands  ? 

Ah,  if  this  unwritten  heroism  of  woman  could  be  brought  to 
light,  even  man  himself  would  cast  his  proud  wreath  of  fame  at 
her  feet ! " 

This  strong-minded  woman  also  says:  "Alas!  for  a  woman 
whose  circumstances,  or  whose  natural  propensities  and  powers 
push  her  forward  beyond  the  line  of  the  ordinary  routine  of  fe- 


76  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

male  life,  unless  she  possess  a  saving  amount  of  that  force  of  resist- 
ance which  will  enable  her  to  stand  firm.  Many  a  woman  who 
has  had  strength  to  get  outside  of  that  line,  has  not  possessed  the 
strength  to  stand  there ;  and  the  fatal  result  has  been  that  she 
has  been  swept  down  into  the  gulf  of  irredeemable  sin.  The 
great  misfortune  was,  that  there  was  too  much  of  her  to  be  held 
within  the  prescribed  and  safe  limits  allotted  to  woman,  but  there 
was  not  enough  to  enable  her  to  stand  securely  beyond  the  shelter 
of  conventional  rules. 

Within  this  little  bit  of  philosophy  there  is  a  key  which  unlocks 
the  dark  secret  of  the  fall  and  everlasting  ruin  [we  trust  not 
"  everlasting  "]  of  many  of  the  most  beautiful  and  naturally  gifted 
women  of  the  Avorld. 

If  a  woman  is  qualified  to  be  a  happy  wife  and  a  good  mother, 
she  need  never  look  with  envy  upon  the  more  gifted  woman  of 
genius,  whose  mental  powers  may  have  unfitted  her  for  the  quiet 
walks  of  domestic  life.  In  the  woman  of  rare  mental  endowments 
there  may  be  a  necessity  in  her  own  nature,  forcing  her  into  a 
field  of  action  altogether  difierent  in  its  sphere  from  the  duties 
usually  allotted  to  woman.  When  this  is  the  case,  she  must  obey 
her  destiny ;  but  the  woman  who  has  only  those  humble  charms 
which  fit  her  to  be  the  light  and  the  presiding  goddess  of  the 
beautiful  circle  of  'home/  is  really  to  be  envied  by  her  more 
gifted  sister,  whose  powers  tempt  her  out  upon  the  turbulent  sea 
of  politics  and  diplomacy. 

But,  alas!  woman's  lot  in  this  sphere  of  home  is  too  often  a  sad 
and  thankless  one.  It  is  demanded  of  her  that  she  make  a  home, 
whether  her  husband  provides  the  means  or  not;  and  it  must 
be  a  happy  one,  though  his  temper  is  as  savage  as  that  of  a 
tiger. 

What  do  men  mean  when  they  call  woman  the  weaker  sex  ? 
Not,  surely,  that  she  is  less  strong  and  brave  of  heart  and  purpose 
to  meet  the  tidal  shocks  of  life !  Not  that  she  is  not  every  whit 
the  peer  of  man  in  all  the  elements  of  heroism  and  genuine  nobil- 
ity of  soul  ! 

That  masculine  philosophy  which  regards  and  would  treat  wo- 
man as  an  inferior  being,  is  not  only  an  insult  to  that  God  who 
created  her  as  the  equal  companion  of  man,  but  it  is  contradicted 
by  every  stage  of  history  and  experience. 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  77 

Her  excellence  maybe  generally  displayed  in  a  less  ostentatious 
field  than  man's,  but  still  the  idea  of  perfect  equality  is  not  im- 
paired on  that  account.  In  the  best  type  of  the  female  character 
there  is  a  firmness  which  does  not  exclude  delicacy,  and  a  softness 
which  does  not  imply  weakness.'*  This  reminds  us  of  some  ex- 
quisite lines  of  Moore :  — 

"Yet  there  was  light  around  her  brow, 
A  holiness  in  those  bright  eyes, 
Which  showed,  though  reaching  earthward  now, 
Her  spirit's  home  was  in  the  skies. 
Yes,  for  a  spirit  pure  as  hers 
Is  always  pure,  e'en  while  it  errs, 
As  sunshine  broken  in  the  rill, 
Though  turned  astray,  is  sunshine  still." 

Many,  doubtless,  will  this  read  who  will  say  in  their  hearts  it  is 
a  one-sided  argument.  To  such  we  will  say,  there  is  no  prescribed 
rule  or  form  of  rules  which  will  apply  unto,  or  by  which  we  can 
judge,  any  people  of  either  sex  individually.  All  have  their 
exceptions,  be  they  many  or  few.  We  can  recall  to  mind  hun- 
dreds of  instances  which  would  justify  a  complete  reversion  of 
some  portions  of  the  foregoing ;  where  the  man's  instead  of  the 
woman's  "rights  "  were  trampled  upon,  and  he  the  party  who  was 
constrained  to  meekly  bear  all  things  from  his  miscalled  "  better 
half,"  forbearing  to  arouse  her  indignation  by  any  suggestions  in 
regard  to  economy  or  any  other  matter  in  which  they  were  both 
equally  concerned ;  he  meanwhile  providing  bountifully  for  the 
needs  of  the  household  by  his  unremitting  toil,  while  the  wife  and 
mother,  instead  of  making  herself  and  home  bright  and  cheery 
for  his  reception,  only  regales  him  with  murmurings  and  com- 
plaints the  little  time  he  is  permitted  to  spend  in  this  delightful 
retreat. 

We  are  not  surprised  that  such  should  seek  elsewhere  for  the 
congenial  society  their  own  homes  fail  to  supply;  nor  do  we  think 
such  would  be  envied  by  our  friend,  "not  because  they  were  men, 
but  because  they  were  not  luomen."  As  far  as  we  have  been  able 
to  judge,  however,  these  cases  are  the  exceptions,  and  not  the 
rule. 

What  we  would  advise,  and  hope  to  see  in  "the  good  time  com- 
ing," is  for  every  human  being  who  is  endued  with  reason  and 


78  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

common- sense,  to  assert  and  to  maintain  tlieir  own  individuality 
of  character,  that  individuality  based  upon  the  true  principles  of 
equality,  equity,  and  justice. 

A  bright  sunny  sky,  a  fresh  balmy  day ; 
And  best  of  all,  some  letters  for  us,  I 
Suppose  ;  but  let  me  see,  one  is  for  me, 
A  sunbeam  sent  by  a  bright  little  spirit, 
Whose  heart  is  the  home  of  sunshine  and  love  ; 
God  bless  you,  sweet  child  I  and  make  you  as  pure 
In  your  spring-time  of  life,  as  the  tiny 
Sweet-scented  flowers  which  came,  and  which  were  by 
Your  loving  hands  culled.     O,  how  I  do  long 
To  clasp  you  once  more  to  my  heart,  estranged 
From  all  it  on  earth  holds  dear ;  to  hear  your 
Sweet  accents  of  tender  child-love,  as  guileless 
And  pure  as  the  angels  above  I 

And  here, 
Spirit  friends,  are  letters  for  us,  two.     How 
Strange  that  by  threes  they  so  oft  do  come,  and 
Then  for  days  will  be  "  nary  a  one."    The 
First  we  shall  read  is  from  a  learned  M.  D., 
Who  kindly  expresses  regard  for  me. 
And  also  vouchsafes  a  short  message  for 
Us,  although  from  his  words  I  cannot  tell 
Whether  he  in  his  heart  accords  it  to 
All. 

"  Please  accept  my  sincere  thanks  for  the  book,  and  allow  me 
to  congratulate  you  on  your  success  in  presenting  to  the  reading 
community  something  so  worthy  of  their  perusal." 

"  Let  them  shout  for  joy  and  be  glad,  who  favor  my  righteous 
cause :  yea,  let  them  say  continually,  Let  the  Loed  be  mag- 
nified." 

Our  second  letter  contains  the  following :  — 

**I  have  perused  your  book,  and  while  I  found  many  things  in 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  79 

it  wliicli  I  both  understand  and  appreciate,  seeing  therein  the 
earnestness  of  your  soul,  and  the  best  of  motives  for  the  helping 
of  womankind,  and  the  elevation  of  all,  I  can  still  see,  with  an 
unprejudiced  mind,  that  it  can  never  practically  influence  the 
minds  and  hearts  of  those  you  wish  to  reach.  These  influences, 
my  dear,  I  have  had  some  experience  with,  and  find  this :  that 
until  the  spiritual  has  become  so  refined  and  elevated  as  to  unite 
with  it  the  practical,  what  you  would  get  would  result  as  your 
book  will  result,  in  a  failure  to  do  what  you  wish  done. 

Now  I  find  that  what  we  want  to  know  is,  to  understand  when 
to  cast  up  the  pearls  before  the  world.  What  you  need  is  this,  to 
let  the  influences  work  ujoon  your  nature  until  they  have  moulded, 
fashioned,  and  educated  it ;  then  you  Avill  be  ready  to  write  what 
will  satisfy  yourself  and  be  a  help  to  others. 

The  lives  of  many  of  us,  however  rich  they  may  be  to  ourselves, 
are  a  barren  waste  to  others ;  and  although  we  have  many  rich 
experiences  that  bear  fruit  in  our  own  souls,  every  man  and  wo- 
man has  something  of  the  same,  but  when  told  in  prose  or  verse, 
they  fall  a  dead  weight  to  the  ground.  The  majority  of  people  care 
nothing  for  Spiritualtsm  or  spiritual  tilings,  being  busied  with 
making  money,  and  not  having  worked  out  of  the  swaddling- 
clothes  of  selfishness.  I  expect  yet  to  have  thoughts  from  you 
that  will  really  satisfy  my  whole  nature,  but  I  cannot  find  them  in 
this  book.  Study  practical  things,  at  the  same  time  educate  your 
spiritual  and  ideal  conditions  as  you  are  now,  and  all  will  be 
well." 

The  writer  of  the  foregoing,  though  quite  youthful,  seemed  so 
much  the  embodiment  of  wisdom,  that  after  perusing  the  letter, 
"  I  was  dumb  with  silence,  I  held  my  peace,  even  from  good ;  and 
my  sorrow  was  stirred. 

My  heart  was  hot  within  me,  while  I  was  musing  the  fire  burned ; 
then  spake  I  with  my  tongue, 

Lord,  make  mc  to  know  mine  end,  and  the  measure  of  my  days, 
what  it  is ;  that  I  may  hnoio  how  frail  I  am." 

A  gleam  of  light  flashed  upon  my  soul  at  the  remembrance  of 
the  following :  — 

"  Iron  sharpcneth  iron ;  so  a  man  sharpeneth  the  countenance 
of  his  friend. 


80  THE   UNSEAI.ED   BOOK. 

Whoso  keepetli  the  fig-tree  shall  eat  the  fruit  thereof;  so  he 
that  waiteth  on  his  master  shall  be  honored." 

My  mind  was  somewhat  relieved,  though  still  in  a  state  of  doubt 
and  perplexity  as  to  the  course  I  was  to  pursue,  believing  as  I  do 
that  to  "  every  purpose  there  is  time  and  judgment,  therefore  the 
misery  of  man  is  great  upon  him.  For  he  knoweth  not  that 
which  shall  be :  for  who  can  tell  him  w1ie7i  it  shall  be  ?  " 

I  applied  mine  heart  unto  wisdom,  and  all  this  have  I 
seen. 

"  There  is  a  time  when  one  man  ruleth  over  another  to  his  own 
hurt.  There  be  just  men  unto  whom  it  happeneth  according  to 
the  work  of  the  wicked.  Again,  there  be  wicked  men  to  whom  it 
happeneth  according  to  the  work  of  the  righteous."  I  felt  like 
the  Preacher  to  exclaim,  "All  is  vanity  and  vexation  of  spirit." 
I  went  to  my  spiritual  pastor  for  counsel  and  advice.  He  gave  me 
to  understand  that  he  wished  to  answer  my  friend's  letter  through 
the  organism  of  a  medium  whom  he  had  upon  a  former  occasion 
controlled  for  a  like  purpose  (but  not  for  me).  Having  obtained 
the  consent  of  the  medium  to  be  used  as  his  instrument,  the  fol- 
lowing communication  was  given :  — 

"  Your  letter  is  a  strange  compound  of  misgivings  suited  to 
persons  of  doubtful  minds,  who  have  no  just  idea  of  what  it  takes 
to  make  up  a  book  to  suit  the  times  and  the  public  taste.  Some- 
thing might  be  said  in  regard  to  an  active  theology  of  events  com- 
prising certain  doctrines  or  taste  in  policy  making,  whereby  the 
ins  and  outs  of  society  might  be  understood  and  acted  upon.  In 
the  first  place,  it  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  a  person  unJcnown 
and  imsung  should  have  the  prerequisites  of  book-making  in  such 
a  degree  as  to  fully  understand  in  advance  exactly  what  the  world 
would  receive  as  honafide  literature,  whether  it  be  for  instruction 
or  amusement.  In  the  premises,  there  is  such  a  thing  as  magnifi- 
cence of  taste  suited  to  the  squeamish  proclivities  of  the  forlorn 
and  dissolute  mortals  who  peregrinate  from  place  to  place  and 
who  have  no  local  habitation  or  home.  Such  as  these  may  be 
likened  unto  the  moral  precepts  contained  in  our  book,  which 
may  account  for  our  misgivings  as  to  the  propriety  of  enlarging 
upon  the  merits  of  our  proficiency  in  book-writing.  "We,  having 
no  fixed  ideas  but  the  general  good,  chose  to  treat  all  of  our  sub- 
jects contained  in  the  book  in  the  way  to  greet  the  hearts  and 
souls  of  the  great  majority,  with  something  likening  unto  a  char- 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  81 

nel-house  of  filtli  which  needed  cleansing,  all  for  the  want  of  that 
attention  necessary  for  a  general  distribution  of  the  great  and 
good  gifts  held  in  store  for  those  whose  discernment  could  see  the 
beauties  of  nature  exemplified  in  a  threefold  sense  of  justice  to 
mankind  groping  in  darkness  and  ignorance ;  not  knowing  which 
way  to  look  for  succor  or  atonement  for  their  sins  of  omission  and 
commission,  engendered  by  a  lack  of  wisdom  which  will  be  sup- 
plied by  this  book  in  its  simple  and  artistic  style  of  reasoning  and 
good  sense. 

A  mere  looker-on  in  Venice  saw  but  little  to  tell  of  the  beauties 
there  to  be  seen ;  but  those  who  entered  and  examined  all  and 
every  thing  to  be  seen  and  learned,  returned  with  great  wisdom 
to  their  simple-minded  friends  who  stood  aghast  at  the  magnifi- 
cence as  rehearsed  by  the  practical  inqiiwer  and  examiner,  who 
saw  and  examined  all  and  every  thing  he  met  in  his  researches 
among  the  grand  and  glorious  displays  therein  exposed  to  the 
light  and  glory  of  this  world,  as  a  beacon-light  for  all  who  will 
come  hereafter,  searching  for  things  to  feast  their  eyes  upon  and 
fill  their  hearts  with  gratitude  to  the  great  Giver  of  all  good,  that 
they  were  permitted  to  enjoy  such  a  feast  of  reason  and  flow  of 
soul,  in  contemplating  the  satisfaction  and  ease  of  mind  secured 
by  their  researches  among  the  hidden  treasures  of  this  world, 
emblematic  of  a  much  better  enjoyment  hereafter  in  that '  home 
not  made  with  hands  eternal  in  the  heavens.' " 

"For  we  wrestle  not  against  flesh  and  blood,  but  against  princi- 
palities, against  powers,  against  the  rulers  of  the  darkness  of  this 
world,  against  spiritual  wickedness  in  high  places,"  taking  for  our 
weapon  "  the  sword  of  the  spirit,  which  is  the  word  of  God." 

One  Tveek  agone,  my  spirit  friends,  feeble 

And  faint  I  lay,  I  could  not  see  which  way 

To  go  ;  I  asked  of  thee,  but  no  response, 

Each  friend  and  foe  did  seem  his  face  to  hide, 

While  troublous  waves  came  dashing  high,  and  beat 

Against  my  little  bark  far  out  at  sea : 

I  thought  I  must  my  course  pursue,  and  vainly 

Tried  to  paddle  on  until  my  strength  was 

Welluigh  spent ;  then  came'  a  voice  of  sweet  accord 


82  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

And  breathed  unto  my  soul  these  words  :  "  Am  I 

A  God  from  thee  afar,  and  not  a  God 

Unto  thee  near  ?  "  And  then  within  my  heart 

I  said,  "  Thou  art  my  God,  my  times  are  in 

Thy  hands."    It  was  the  same  dear  voice  which  had  said, 

*'Be  still,  and  know  that  I  am  God."     I  have 

Been  still,  and  peace  has  been  again  restored. 

The  winds  above,  the  waves  below,  are  hushed 

To  rest,  and  I  once  more  may  calmly  sail. 

With  thee,  my  precious  loving  guides  to  steer ; 

Thou  hast  already  pointed  out  the  beacon 

Light  far,  far  ahead,  and  bid  me  row  my 

Boat  to  shore  ;  that  shore  no  longer  is  obscured 

By  black'ning  storms  of  dark  despair  :  the  way 

I  know,  the  time  has  unto  me  been  given, 

While  from  an  unexpected  source  came  means 

Sufficient  for  my  present  needs.     And  now, 

Dear  Lord,  enable  me  to  "  look  ahead 

With  cheer,"  to  do  thy  will  as  thou  may  it 

To  me  reveal ;  and  if  I  fall,  may  I 

By  thy  might  arise.     When  I  again  in 

Darkness  sit,  wilt  thou,  O  Lord,  be  unto 

Me  a  light,  and  may  thy  love  still  hold  me 

Up,  for  I  am  thine,  and  only  thine.     I 

Trust  "whate'er  betides,  Vve  known  the  worst, ^^  for 

Thus  an  angel  friend  doth  say,  a  friend  I 

Fearlessly  can  trust,  since  never  from  his 

Truthful  lips  or  guileless  heart  have  come  a 

Word  or  thought  untrue.     My  loving  band  are 

All  both  kind  and  true  of  heart :  I  know  they 

Will  me  guide  aright,  although  at  times  they 

May  withhold,  and  wisely  too,  from  my  weak 

Brain,  the  purpose  which  to  them  is  clear.     Did 

They  not  so,  their  task  would  be  a  vain  and 

Hopeless  one  ;  I  may,  and  doubtless  sometimes 

Do,  these  loving  ones  misunderstand,  and 

Sufi"  "ring  bring  in  consequence  ;  but  I  am 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  83 

Daily  led  to  see  it  is  not  meet  that 

"VVe  of  earth  should  too  much  wisdom 

Gain,  while  yet  we  sojourn  here  ;  our  cups  of 

Understanding  are  so  very  small,  they 

Hold  at  best  no  great  amount,  a  surplus 

Would  them  overflow  ;  and  this  suggests  some 

Other  thoughts.     If  by  God's  mercy  we  have 

Been  abundantly  supplied  with  food  while 

Many  faint  for  lack  of  daily  bread,  shall 

"We  not  give  them  from  our  store  ?    God's  bounty 

Hath  for  all  supplied,  his  wisdom  hath 

Directed  how  each  hungry  soul  may  with 

The  bread  of  life  be  fed  ;  yet  myi-iads 

Of  starving  souls  no  morsel  may  obtain  : 

And  why?     Is  God  unjust?  nay,  'tis  we  his 

Appointed  instruments  who  are  unjust. 

This  earth-sphere  we  would  liken  to  a  wheel, 

"Whose  centre  is  the  throne  of  God  ;  each  spoke 

The  wheel  contains  being  the  ladder  of 

Progression ;  upon  each  round  of  the  ladder 

There  are,  or  should  he,  sentinels  on  duty, 

Whose  mission  it  is  to  instruct  and  to 

Enlighten  corresponding  sentinels. 

On  the  round  of  knowledge  but  a  step  below 

Themselves  ;  at  the  same  time  refreshing  their 

Own  souls  with  glimpses  of  the  beautiful 

Beyond,  as  portrayed  by  the  holy  angels, 

Who  are  continually  ascending 

And  descending  in  their  midst. 

Were  God's  wise  purposes  fullilled,  and  did 

We  his  instruments  work  according  to 

His  will  and  design,  how  perfect  and 

Complete  would  be  the  attainment  of  heavenly 

Bliss  ;  but  his  glorious  plans  arc  hidden 

From  view,  by  our  own  folly  and  ignorance, 

In  substituting  our  narrow  and  selfish 

Ideas  and  aims,  thus  destroying  and 


84  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

Perverting  the  harmony  and  love  which 

A  fulfilment  of  his  designs  would 

Establish  and  maintain.     The  sentinels 

In  many  cases  fail  to  reach  forth  a 

Friendly  hand  to  a  brother  in  need, 

Striving  only  for  their  own  exaltation  ; 

Thus  the  condition  is  broken,  a  link 

In  the  beautiful  chain  is  severed,  and 

What  is  the  result  ?     That  all  below  must 

Fall  to  the  ground,  their  senses  shocked  by  the 

Sudden  descent,  their  faith  and  their  hope 

Amazingly  less.     And  what  of  the  chain 

Left  dangling  in  air  ?     Alas  !  it  must  hang, 

Until  some  brother  or  sister  draws  near, 

Assisting  with  zeal  untiring  and  true 

To  unite  once  more  the  bright  golden  chain 

Of  peace,  harmony,  and  love.     If,  when  we 

Did  wrong,  no  effect  was  produced  save  unto 

Ourselves,  the  incitement  to  good  would  be 

Far  less  strong ;  but  Nature's  first  law,  "  cause  and 

Effect,"  render  this  same  impossible  with 

Spirits  or  mortals,  and  all  who  do  come 

Within  our  sphere  must  share  somewhat  in  our 

Eevulsions.     Were  all  to  do  their  own  true 

Share  of  labor,  no  broken  or  no  unfilled 

Eounds  our  ladders  would  contain,  no  missing 

Or  disjointed  links  our  chains  exhibit ; 

Nor  would  the  honest  whole-souled  laborer 

Be  forced,  because  of  his  great  love  of  humanity, 

To  do  double  or  even  quadruple 

Duty,  as  is  often  the  case.     These  same 

Golden  chains  'twixt  earth  and  heaven  are  still 

Far  apart  and  by  many  unseen  ;  their 

Spirit  exists  o'er  the  widespread  earth,  but  like 

All  things  spiritual,  cannot  be  discerned 

By  the  carnally  minded  sons  of  earth. 

The  spirit  must  be  clothed  upon 


THE   UXSEALED   BOOK.  ^5 

After  it  is  found  to  exist,  and  we 

Are  the  instruments  of  a  higher  power 

To  construct  and  mould  its  fitting  apparel, 

While  angels  of  light  in  our  labors  assist, 

Teaching  us  how  to  finish  and  polish 

Each  link  in  its  turn,  by  our  deeds  of 

Kindness,  our  words  of  love.     These  chains  at  the 

Base  are  large  and  coarse ;  but  each  succeeding 

Link  grows  smaller,  and  in  texture  more  refined. 

As  it  reaches  upward,  and  gathers  from 

The  surrounding  atmosphere  purer 

Elements  for  its  construction.     Pligher 

And  yet  higher  ascends  this  magnetic 

Chain,  until,  at  length,  etherealized 

To  us,  it  rises  beyond  our  frail  vision's 

Domain.     One  thing  we  do  note,  which  is  this  : 

These  spiritual  chains,  all  alike  on 

The  start,  become  when  wrought  upon,  widely 

Diverse  in  structure,  form,  size,  and  color. 

This  may  be  attributed  to  the 

Executive  ability,  finance. 

Genius,  or  taste  of  the  director.     If 

The  material  is  good,  the  work  well 

Performed,  each  will  serve  the  same  end  ; 

While  each  employee  will  receive,  according 

To  his  or  her  labor,  compensation 

Due  ;  if  it  be  a  mere  mechanical 

Labor  performed  from  necessity,  no 

Good  will  accrue  to  the  soul  therefrom ;  if 

The  laborer  be  in  pursuit  of  worldly 

Gain,  and  is  actuated  by  selfish 

Motives  alone,  his  reward  will  be  of 

The  earth  earthy,  "  which  pcrisheth  with  the  . 

Using."     If  pride  and  amliition  be  the 

Kuling  aim,  the  end  is  not  far.     But  we 

Iiikc  not  long  to  dwell  upon  these,  we  fain 

Would  sec  all,  from  pm'cness  of  heart,  engage 


80  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

In  labors  of  love  for  their  dear  Lord's  sake ; 

And  these  are  the  labors  which  alone  can 

Weave  the  bright  golden  chain  we  all  may 

Covet,  but  few  can  possess.     Its  links  are 

Composed  of  "faith,  hope,  charity,"  kept  bright 

By  "humility  and  holy  zeal."     Our 

Saviour  perfected  the  first  of  this  kind. 

It  is  still  in  existence,  but,  sad  to 

Eelate,  seldom  used  by  those  who  claim  its 

Sole  right.     Its  links  by  neglect  so  tarnished 

Have  grown,  no  stranger  would  guess  its  substance 

Were  gold.    There  are  upon  earth  chains  which,  though 

Less  golden,  are  kept  more  bright  by  the 

Usins:.     These  chains  will  increase  in  numbers 

And  strength,  in  spite  of  opposition  and 

Scorn,  till  all  the  wide  earth,  from  east  unto 

West,  from  north  unto  south,  resound  with  glad  songs 

Of  joy  and  of  mirth,  re-echoing  far 

The  news  of  their  birth. 


Another  letter,  dear  friends,  from  which  we  give  the  follow- 
ing:— 

"  I  have  read  your  book  carefully,  interestedly,  and  I  think  I 
appreciate  it  for  what  it  is.  But  I  must  insist  upon  one  thing,  and 
that  is,  that  your  own  personality  is  clearly  stamped  upon  it  in 
almost  every  line,  and  I  do  not  by  any  means  give  all  the  credit  to 
your  pastor's  dictation.  I  love  the  spirit  of  the  book,  because  it  is 
tlie  spirit  of  the  Master,  and  tliink  you  make  many  things  very 
plain  to  the  inquiring  mind. 

May  God  speed  you  in  your  labor  of  love  in  lighting  up  the 
dark  places  of  earth,  and  bringing  souls  to  a  knowledge  of  the 
truth  as  it  is  most  perfectly  revealed  to  us  in  the  perfect  life  of 
Jesus  Clirist.  Many  questions  that  used  to  puzzle  me  are  all 
cleared  up  now  ;  for  I  find  that  it  is  —  after  all  the  controversies, 
dogmas,  isms,  and  ites  — contained  in  one  little  word,  love,  —  love 
to  God  and  love  to  men.  I  often  wonder  that  people  will  persist 
in  bothering  themselves  over  vexed  questions  that  avail  nothing 
after  they  are  all  settled,  when  the  truth  is  so  simple  that  a  little 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  87 

child  may  know  it.  God  bless  jow  and  make  you  very  useful, 
and  give  you  physical  and  spiritual  strength  that  you  may  lead 
others  to  the  fountain  of  life." 

"We  thank  you,  kind  friend,  for  your  loving  God-speed. 
We  feel  to  reply,  since  she  upon  earth 
Who  for  us  hath  done  the  best  that  she  could 
Is  unwilling  to  receive  all  the  credit 
You  give.     Nor  yet  doth  her  pastor  lay  claim 
To  it  all,  but  begs  to  inform  you  he 
Is  but  one  of  four  whose  labors 
Have  accomplished  the  work.     If  our  book,  as 
You  say,  breathes  the  spirit  of  the  Master, 
And  his  teachings  make  plain  to  the  inquiring 
IVIiud,  it  matters  but  little  from  whom  they 
Go  forth,  if  only  received  in  the  spirit 
Of  love ;  for  '  love  is  the  fulfilling  of 
The  law.'     In  this,  dear  sister,  we  with  you 
Agree,  and  pray  the  good  Lord  his  blessings 
To  shower  on  one  who  is  with  us  in  labors 
Of  love,  whose  life  is  devoted  to  the 
Master's  cause.     May  your  influence  be  wide- 
Spread  upon  earth  ;  may  the  spirit  power 
Conveyed  through  you,  bear  healing  on  its  wings, 
And  those  intrusted  to  your  care  be  not 
Only  physically,  but  spiritually. 
Made  whole.     We  deem  you  in  wisdom  by  far 
Too  advanced  to  vex  your  tired  soul,  or  waste 
Precious  time  in  studying  out  just  mere 
Personalities,  for  such  questionings 
'  Avail  nothing  after  they  are  all  settled.' 
But  for  the  benefit  of  those  still  young 
In  the  faith,  we  will  say :  The  dictations 
Were  given  by  three  :  one  upon  earth  and 
Two  in  heaven.     A  fourth  comes  in,  fulfilling 
Her  part ;  which  part  is,  the  arranging  and 
Compiling  portions  of  the  same  ;  so,  instead 


88  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

Of  one,  't  will  be  seen  we  are  four  ;  one  upon 
Earth,  and  three  in  heaven." 

Is  this  to  be  my  home  ?     My  dear  Lord  and 
Master,  my  kind  spirit  friends,  draw  near  me, 
I  pray,  for  hence  have  I  come  to  the  place 
Appointed  by  thee.     O,  wilt  thou,  dear  ones, 
Thy  purpose  reveal ;  for  I  am  so  blind 
It  seemeth  to  me  there  's  naught  I  can  do. 
In  this  wearisome  wild,  so  barren  and  cold. 
The  winds  howl  around,  the  rain  cometh 
Down  ;  yet  it  may  be  that  I,  and  I  only. 
Am  at  ftiult.     My  spirit  and  my  flesh  are 
Both  alike  weak.     The  longer  I  live,  the 
Farther  I  roam,  the  more  do  I  see  to 
Awake  in  my  soul  the  need  of 
Reform ;  and  this  brings  to  mind  a  letter 
To  which  I  've  just  made  reply  ;  its  contents 
I  '11  give  you  in  part,  knowing,  as  I  well 
Do,  the  writer  no  objections  would  have. 

"  Eeform  (says  he)  is  a  noble  work,  but  it  must  be  performed 
by  those  who  are  strong  in  this  world's  goods,  and  who  are  com- 
pletely independent  of  all  men.  Are  you  fitted  and  prepared  to 
wage  a  conflict  with  the  world,  and  to  make  all  sacrifices  which 
you  must  of  necessity  make  in  waging  war  upon  old-received 
religious  opinions  ?  We  can  walk  in  the  true  way  without  com- 
pelling others  to  go  with  us,  or,  in  plain  English,  we  can  set  our- 
selves right  and  let  others  alone.  I  know  that  this  is  selfish :  so 
is  the  world.  Do  all  you  can  for  humanity,  make  all  sacrifices 
that  you  possibly  can  for  others,  and  they  will  turn  round  and 
smite  you.  We  cannot  go  back ;  that,  as  you  say,  is  impossible : 
but  you  have  no  call  to  crush  your  own  life  in  trying  to  help  those 
who  scorn  help,  and  who  would  turn  ai^d  heap  abuse  upon  those 
who  would  aid  them.  Our  first  duty  is  to  ourselves.  The  strug- 
gle that  we  have  been  called  upon  to  engage  in  is  nothing  com- 
pared to  that  which  must  eventually  come  if  we  continue  to  do 
battle  with  the  world.    Of  course,  if  we  learn  the  truth  ourselves, 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  89 

and  keep  silence,  this  will  be  avoided ;  but  if  we  give  our  opinions, 
tTie  result  must  folloiu.  Outside  of  purely  religious  matters,  stand 
women's  rights,  social  freedom,  free  love,  and  many  more  ques- 
tions, and  I  tell  you,  you  are  drifting  towards  them  (perhaps 
unconsciously).  Are  you  willing  ?  Do  you  feel  strong  enough  to 
engage  in  the  battle  ? 

Your  life  ought  to  be  a  smooth,  happy  one,  devoid  of  all  men- 
tal troubles.  Such  it  cannot  be  if  you  persist  in  waging  war  against 
accepted  opinions.  I  would  not  lead  you  one  hair's  breadth  from 
your  duty ;  but  yourself  ought  to  be  your  first  care.  '  Be  wise  as 
serpents,  harmless  as  doves.'  "We  have  no  need  to  make  any  very 
great  effort  in  the  cause  of  truth ;  it  will  triumph,  it  needs  only 
time ;  it  will  come  to  the  minds  of  men  only  as  men's  minds  ex- 
pand to  receive  it.  We  cannot  force  great  truths  into  small, 
dwarfed  minds.  Therefore  the  young  in  our  schools,  and  the 
conditions  in  which  our  race  are  brought  into  existence,  are  mat- 
ters of  vital  importance.  We  have  nothing  to  fear.  All  things 
are  governed  and  controlled  by  immutable  law." 


I  thank  you,  kind  brother  and  friend,  for  your 

Tender,  solicitous  care.     I  ackno\tledge 

The  truth  of  much  you  have  said.     I  also 

Believe  that  much  may  be  done  to  further 

The  progress  of  truth  upon  earth.     In  the 

Minds  of  all,  be  they  ever  so  dwarfed,  exists 

The  embryo  of  future  enlightenment. 

If  left  to  itself  long  dormant  it  lies  ; 

If  awaked  by  a  dart  from  the  arrow 

Of  truth,  the  possessors  of  the  same  may, 

It  is  true,  turn  and  rend  the  messenger 

Of  love  ;  Init,  nevertheless,  the  work  is 

Begun.     Their  slumbers  are  broken  ;  they  may 

Lay  them  down,  they  may  fold  their  hands  and 

Cry  from  their  hearts,  "  O,  a  little  more  sleep, 

A  little  more  slumber  ! "     Their  sleep  has 

Departed,  their  idle  dreams  fled,  and  naught 

Can  they  do  but  think,  think,  think  ;  and  the  more 

They  do  think,  the  more  will  their  minds  expand 


90  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

And  enlarge.     The  work  will  go  on,  slowly 
And  unconsciously  at  first,  it  may  be, 
But  sure  in  the  end  as  the  law  which 
Governs  the  same. 

"  If  we  give  our  opinions, 
The  result  must  follow."     Sad  experience 
Hath  this  me  taught.     Yet  not  unconsciously 
Have  I  been  drifting,  nor,  as  I  believe, 
Without  a  safe  Pilot  to  guide  my  frail 
Bark,  and  anchor  to  cast  on  that  beautiful 
Shore  where  war  wages  not  and  the  weary 
Find  rest. 

"  We  cannot  go  back  —  "     O,  no,  O,  no  ! 
And  who  would  desire  it  ?     Of  all  the  dear 
Spirits  who  have  spoken  to  me  from  their 
Home  in  the  skies,  not  one  has  expressed  a 
Wish  to  come  back  and  live  once  again  upon 
Earth. 


"We  can  walk  in  the  true  way  without  compelling  others  to  go 
with  us."  Quite  right,  my  friend ;  compulsion  is  useless,  as  all 
will  find  who  endeavor  to  preach  or  to  teach  the  true  way.  Time 
was  when  I  thought  by  gentle  persuasion  some  might  be  led ;  but 
even  that  I  am  forced  now  to  doubt.  I  have  long  since  ceased 
my  views  to  express  unsolicited.  I  have  refrained  from  the  out- 
pouring of  my  heart  as  the  spirit  gave  utterance,  save  in  writings, 
which  of  course  could  not  be  enforced  upon  any. 

*'  Our  first  duty  is  to  ourselves."  And  what,  dear  friend,  of  our 
duty  to  our  neighbor  ?  My  Catechism  teaches  this :  ''  To  love 
my  neighbor  as  myself,  and  to  do  unto  all  men  as  I  would  that 
they  should  do  unto  me."  If  we  strive  to  do  this,  the  minor  con- 
siderations will  follow,  in  course.  Included  in  the  same  catechis- 
mal  answer  is  the  following :  "  To  submit  myself  to  all  my  gov- 
ernors, teachers,  spiritual  pastors,  and  masters."  This,  also,  I  am 
willing  to  do,  but  shall  claim  the  right  and  privilege  of  choosing 
my  own  teachers,  spiritual  pastors,  and  masters. 

"  Are  you  willing  ?  Do  you  feel  strong  enough  to  engage  in 
the  battle  ?  "    This  inquiry  recalls  to  my  memory  some  beautiful 


THE   tnSTSEALED   BOOK.  91 

and  expressive  lines  penned  for  me  by  a  very  dear  friend,  at  a 
time  when  I  was  "  sore  let  and  hindered."  I  trust  you  will  excuse 
me  for  inserting  them  here :  — 

"Lean  hard,  child  of  my  love,  lean  hard,  and  let 
Me  feel  the  pressure  of  thy  care.    I  know 
Thy  burden,  child.    I  shaped  it,  poised  it  in 
My  own  hand,  made  no  proportion  in  its 
"Weight  to  thine  unaided  strength  ;  for  even 
As  I  laid  it  on,  I  said,  '  I  shall  be 
Near,  and  while  she  leans  on  me  this  burden 
Shall  be  mine,  not  hers  :  so  shall  I  keep  my 
Child  within  the  circling  arms  of  mine  own 
Love.'    Here  lay  it  tlown,  nor  fear  to  impose 
It  on  a  shoulder  which  upholds  the 
Government  of  worlds.    Yet  closer  come,  thou 
Art  not  near  enough  ;  I  would  embrace  thy 
Care,  so  I  might  feel  my  child  reposing 
On  my  breast.    Thou  lovest  me  ?    I  know  it ; 
Doubt  not  then  ;  but  loving  me,  lean  hard." 

"  The  spirit  truly  is  willing,  but  the  flesh  is  weak."  I  feel  at 
times,  friend,  that  the  battle  with  me  will  soon  be  o'er.  I  look 
not  for  reward  in  temporal  gifts.  The  years  allotted  to  mortals 
below  are  threescore  and  ten.  The  first  half  and  more  did  I 
spend  in  serving  the  world.  I  mean  not  by  this  that  I  Avas  wholly 
devoid  of  motives  beyond ;  but  my  labors  unceasing  were  sordid 
and  mercenary.  I  received,  of  course,  the  equivalent  which  these 
did  demand.  My  health  was  impaired  by  my  own  folly  and  ig- 
norance. At  length  came  a  change,  to  me  a  glorious  one.  I 
shall  ever  regard  it  as  the  new  and  spiritual  birth  of  the  soul. 

In  the  two  short  years  which  have  since  elapsed,  my  labors, 
however  insignificant,  have  been  of  a  different  character.  I  have 
endeavored  to  serve  my  dear  Lord  and  Master  in  his  own  appointed 
way.  I  have  chosen  u'7io?n  I  will  serve.  My  pastors  and  my 
teachers  are  not  of  this  world.  Yet  in  one  respect  they  diflier 
not:  I  have  ever  been  subject  to  authority,  —  being  a  subordinate, 
—  and  have  learned  that  the  emj^loyee,  to  give  satisfaction,  must 
work  according  to  the  will  and  direction  of  his  or  her  employer. 
Our  spiritual  teachers  make  the  same  requirements ;  and  though 
ofttimes  their  "ways  are  not  as  our  ways,"  it  behoveth  us  to  sub- 
ject ourselves  entirely  to  their  will  and  pleasure,  who  have  a  far 
higher  knowledge  and  conception  of  the  result  to  be  obtained. 

"  The  young  in  our  schools,  and  the  conditions  in  which  our 


92  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

race  are  brought  into  existence,  are  matters  of  vital  importance." 
They  are  truly  so,  nor  do  we  pass  them  by.  It  hath  been  ours 
unto  the  first  of  these  to  daily  minister,  and,  in  so  doing,  little 
time  or  opportunity  has  been  given  for  our  own  advancement  in 
spiritual  knowledge,  especially  as  we  are  prohibited  all  reading  of 
a  deep  or  instructive  character.  An  enlightenment  as  to  the  con- 
ditions in  which  our  race  are  or  sJiould  be  brought  into  existence, 
seems  not  to  come  within  our  sphere  at  the  present  time.  We 
possess  a  general  knowledge  of  the  same,  but  are  unprepared  to 
give  the  subject  the  consideration  its  importance  demands. 

"  Reform  is  a  noble  work,  but  it  must  be  performed  by  those 
who  are  strong  in  this  world's  goods."  In  one  sense  of  the  word 
this  is  true.  Our  bodies  miist  be  sustained,  or  we  can  do  nothing. 
Were  it  not  for  this,  methinks  the  noble  work  would  speed  on 
wings  of  love. 

In  my  experience,  however,  I  have  found  more  zealous  hearts  and 
willing  minds  among  the  poor  in  this  world's  goods  than  among  the 
rich ;  it  may  not  be  the  experience  of  all.  But  we  must  not  forget, 
dear  brother,  the  "cup  of  cold  water"  given  in  the  Master's 
name.  We  read  how  Apostle  Peter  went  up  into  the  temple  at 
the  hour  of  prayer,  and  saw  there  at  the  gate  of  the  temple  called 
Beautiful,  a  certain  man  lame  from  his  mother's  womb ;  "and  fas- 
tening his  eyes  upon  him  with  John,  said.  Look  on  us.  And  he 
gave  heed  unto  them,  exj)ecting  to  receive  something  of  them. 
Then  Peter  said.  Silver  and  gold  have  I  none ;  but  such  as  I  have 
give  I  unto  thee.  In  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Nazareth,  rise 
up  and  walk."  Such  as  we  have  can  we  give ;  it  may  be  but  the 
"  widow's  mite,"  yet  who  can  tell  the  good  it  may  do  ? 

"  There  is  that  maketh  himself  rich,  yet  hath  nothing :  there 
is  that  maketh  himself  poor  yet  hath  great  riches." 

So  now  you  will  see,  my  brother  and  friend, 
Your  doubts  and  your  fears  on  my  account 
Are  groundless  and  vain.     I  cannot  go  fast, 
I  cannot  go  far.     K  friends  do  forsake, 
There 's  One  ever  near,  to  Him  will  I  pray, 
So  long  as  God  giveth  me  breath. 

"0,  send  out  thy  light  and  thy  truth:  let  them  lead  me;  let 
them  bring  me  unto  thy  holy  hill,  and  to  thy  tabernacle. 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  93 

Then  will  I  go  unto  the  altar  of  my  God,  unto  God  my  ex- 
ceeding joy:  yea,  upon  the  harp  will  I  praise  thee,  0  God,  my 
God. 

Why  art  thou  cast  down,  0  my  soul  ?  and  why  art  thou  dis- 
quieted within  me  ?  Hope  in  God :  for  I  shall  yet  praise  him, 
who  is  the  help  of  my  countenance  and  my  God." 

A  friend  thus  writes :  — 

"I  thank  you  much  for  your  Christmas  gift.  "We  have  all  read 
it,  and  were  quite  interested.  Have  lent  it  out,  and  there  are  two 
more  waiting  to  read  it.  But  don't  flatter  yourself  that  we  shall 
all  be  converted  to  your  belief,  although  the  lady  who  has  it  now 
says  she  has  had  to  fight  herself  to  Ice ep  from  believing  it.  As  for 
myself,  I  have  no  desire  to  study  into  these  things ;  do  not  believe 
I  should  be  any  happier  myself,  or  make  my  friends  here  any 
happier;  and 

'  Where  ignorance  is  bliss  'tis  folly  to  be  wise.'  " 

Our  thanks,  land  friend,  for  your  candor  and  truth  ; 

Yourself  can  judge  far  better  than  we 

What  studies  and  labors  will  give  you  just 

Now  the  greatest  amount  of  happiness 

And  peace  ;  we  feel  that  your  heart  is  right 

Within,  that  much  you  have  done,  are  doing 

Still  for  humanity's  sake,  in  your  own 

Quiet  way  ;  that  way  is  not  ours  to  choose 

Or  direct ;  yet  some  things  we  know  which  you 

Have  not  learned.     There  are  with  thee  daily,  Idnd 

Spirits  and  true,  who  help  and  sustain  you 

When  tempted  and  tried  ;  they  long  have  watched  o'er 

You  and  done  what  they  could  your  burdens  to 

Lighten,  your  sorrows  to  heal :  your  life  has 

Been  brightened  by  their  minist'ring  love,  though 

All  unconscious  it  may  be  to  you. 

We  would  ask  thee  to  retrace  the  years  of 

Thy  life,  when  lonely  and  sad  thou  wandered, 

As  one  bereft  of  all  that  earth  for  thee 

Held  dear.     Thy  loving  ones  passed  ou  before 


94  THE    tJNSEALED   BOOK. 

Knew  not  the  way,  more  than  did  you  of 

Coming  back  ;  therefore  when  sorrows  deepest 

"Were  upon  thee,  not  one  was  near  to  wipe 

Away  the  burning  tear,  or  whisper  comfort 

To  thy  sinking  heart.     These  since  have  learned  those 

Mysteries  in  part,  though  slow  and  toilsome 

Have  their  labors  been.     Would  ye  know  why 

Their  progress  hath  in  this  been  slow?     Because, 

Dear  friend,  their  loved  ones  below  have  "  no  desire 

To  study  into  these  things  "  ;  unaided 

And  alone,  so  far  as  earth  help  is  concerned, 

Must  they  fight  their  way  ;  unwilling  are  they 

To  tread  on  to  brighter  fields  and  fairer 

Joys,  lest  the  distance  'tween  them  and  those  they 

Still  hold  dear  on  earth  become  so  great,  they 

Must  "  for  aye  "  remain  apart :  so  still  these 

Loving  ones  do  wait  and  work,  their  task  oft- 

Times  a  thankless  one  ;  this  task,  which  now  to 

Them  is  hard,  would  soon  become  an  easy 

One  if  shared  by  thee.     As  we  before  have 

Said,  you  have  exclusive  right  your  ways  of 

Happiness  to  choose  ;  your  earthly  friends  to 

Strive  and  please.     Can  you  stop  here?    In  justice 

"Nay  ;  for  one  of  the  holy  Trinity 

"VYould  be  left  out.     First  person  I,  second 

Person  you,  and  third  person  he,  she,  or 

It.     He,  the  God  who  formed  and  made  you  live, 

Demands  of  thee  acknowledgment.     She,  thy 

Mother,  and  others  so  called  dead,  yet  living 

Still,  would  ask  to  share  thy  Idnd  remembrance, 

And  sometimes  to  commune  with  thee.     It,  the 

Principle  of  truth  and  right,  though  here  we 

Give  it  as  the  last,  in  time  will  grow  to 

Be  with  thee  and  thine  the  first.     "  Where  ignorance 

Is  bliss  'tis  folly  to  be  wise,"  say  you ; 

Say  we,  "A  perpetuity  of  bliss 

Alone  is  bliss.'* 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  95 

Of  your  friend  who  "has  had  to  fight  herself  to  keep  from 
believing  it,"  we  know  nothing.  She  has  doubtless  read  of  the 
conversion  of  one  whose  name  was  "  Saul/'  who  made  havoc  of 
the  church  and  imprisoned  many, "  breathing  out  threatenings  and 
slaughter  against  the  disciples  of  the  Lord."  Not  content  with 
this,  he  journeyed  toward  Damascus,  having  before  desired  let- 
ters of  the  high-priest,  "  that  if  he  found  any  of  this  way,  whether 
they  were  men  or  women,  he  might  bring  them  bound  unto  Jeru- 
salem." But  a  Priest  yet  higher  he  found  by  the  way,  as  round 
about  him  suddenly  shined  a  hglit  from  heaven.  He  fell  to  the 
earth,  while  a  voice  said,  "Saul,  Saul,  why  persecutest  thou  me? 
And  he  said.  Who  art  thou.  Lord  ?  And  the  Lord  said,  I  am 
Jesus  whom  thou  persecutest :  it  is  hard  for  thee  to  Tcich  against 
the  prichsP 

Saul  then  doth  ask  what  the  Lord  will  have  him  to  do;  and 
the  Lord  saith,  "  Arise  and  go  into  the  city,  and  it  shall  be  told 
thee  what  tliou  must  do."  He  arose  and  opened  his  eyes,  but  lo  ! 
he  was  blind.  He  who  went  boldly  forth  to  hind  God's  chosen 
people,  weak  and  trembling  was  led  hy  the  hand  to  his  place  of 
destination,  and  for  three  days  and  nights  could  neither  eat, 
drink,  or  sleep.  During  this  time  he  had  a  vision,  as  did  also  one 
other  who  was  to  him  a  stranger,  but  a  disciple  of  the  Lord,  whose 
name  was  Ananias. 

"  And  the  Lord  said  unto  him,  Arise,  and  go  into  the  street 
which  is  called  Straight,  and  inquire  in  the  house  of  Judas  for 
one  called  Saul,  of  Tarsus ;  for,  behold,  he  prayeth. 

And  hath  seen  in  a  vision  a  man  named  Ananias,  coming  in 
and  putting  his  hand  on  him,  that  he  might  receive  his  sight. 

Then  Ananias  answered,  Lord,  I  have  heard  by  many  of 
this  man,  how  much  evil  he  hath  done  to  thy  saints  at  Jeru- 
salem : 

And  how  he  hath  authority  from  the  chief  priests  to  bind  all 
that  call  upon  thy  name. 

But  the  Lord  said  unto  him,  Go  thy  way:  for  he  is  a  chosen 
vessel  unto  mc,  to  bear  my  name  before  the  Gentiles,  and  kings, 
and  the  children  of  Israel: 

For  I  will  show  him  how  great  things  he  must  suffer  for  my 
name's  sake. 

And  Ananias  went  his  way  and  entered  into  the  house;  and 
putting  his  hands  on  him  said,  Brother  Saul,  the  Lord,  even 


96  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

Jesus,  that  appeared  unto  thee  in  the  way  as  thou  earnest,  hath 
sent  me,  that  thou  mightest  receive  thy  sight,  and  be  filled  with 
the  Holy  Ghost. 

And  immediately  there  fell  from  his  eyes  as  it  had  been 
scales :  and  he  received  sight  f ortliwith,  and  arose,  and  was  bap- 
tized." 

'Tis  the  first  day  of  spring,  so  saith  our  calendar ; 
It  must  be  so,  yet  how  unlike  what  we 
In  our  day-dreams  have  pictured  forth  in  this 
Bright  sunny  southern  clime  ;  the  day  is  dark 
And  gloomy,  the  sky  o'erspread  with  clouds,  the 
Winds  are  bleak  and  chill,  the  icy  rain  comes 
Down  amain,  no  song  or  chirp  of  bird  we 
Hear,  nor  do  we  scent  the  breath  of  sweet  spring 
Flowers  ;  all  above,  around,  below,  seems 
Cheerless,  dark,  and  cold.     O,  who  can  tell  what  - 
A  day  may  bring  forth  ?     But  yesterday  the  sun 
Its  genial  light  and  warmth  poured  forth  in 
Radiant  streams  of  love  divine  ;  all  nature 
Seemed  alive  with  songs  of  gratitude  and 
Mirth.     Ah,  what  truthful  type  of  life  below  ! 
One  day  our  faith  and  trust  seem  anchored  firm, 
The  next  by  adverse  winds  they  're  shaken  ;  these 
Adverse  winds  no  power  have  we  to  govern 
Or  control ;  the  ready  heart,  the  willing  mind, 
Grows  faint  and  weary  with  delay ;  we  grope 
In  darkness  because  of  our  unbounded 
Ignorance,  which  each  day  becomes  more  visible, 
More  lamentable  ;  by  night  we  are  tortured 
With  dreams  or  \'isions,  we  scarce  can  tell  which. 
We  find  ourselves  in  the  midst  of  a  throng  of  kind 
Earthly  friends, — friends  to  ourselves  we  mean,  yet 
Enemies  to  the  cause  we  uphold  ;  they 
Gather  about  us,  they  shoot  from  afar. 
Their  darts  harm  us  not  at  first,  we  are 
Strong  and  brave,  standing  well  our  ground  ;  but  as 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  97 

The  combat  deepens,  the  arrows  fly  thick, 
And  —  what  are  we  among  many  ?     Our  courage 
Palters,  our  strength  is  failing  fast,  we  look 
For  some  to  help  us,  and  —  awake. 

Sleep  comes 
Again  at  length  ;  another  scene  presents 
Itself,  one  which  earth  mortals  ne'er  beheld  ; 
A  private  home  was  our  resort,  though  many 
Were  assembled  there  from  highest  to  the 
"Low-down  black."     All  came  with  same  intent,  each 
Heart  open  to  receive  the  truth  ;  there  seemed 
A  place  for  all,  and  each  to  know  and  fill 
His  or  her  place  undisturbed  :  for  the  home 
Had  many  apartments.     The  assemblage 
Was  mostly  composed  of  "  freshmen  "  in  the 
Spiritual  kingdom,  and  this  was  their 
First  public  meeting.     Little  was  accomplished 
On  this  occasion  except  to  harmonize 
The  several  groups  by  music  and  song. 

Again  we  awake,  and  this  time  't  is  morning.  But  enough  of 
this,  for  here  comes  a  letter  which  may  give  us  something  more 
interesting. 

Extract. 
"  How  I  would  like  to  see  you  to-night  and  talk  over  matters 
and  things  with  you,  it  is  such  a  slow  way  to  converse,  —  this 
writing  !  Your  hand  must  have  ached  many  times  while  writing 
that  book.  I  do  not  think  the  book  has  been  carefully  read  ;  it 
is  not  understood,  as  you  say.  It  needs  much  study  to  see  into 
it.  We  do  not  see  anything  so  very  luicked  in  it  (as  others  do) ; 
but  somehow  I  do  not  believe  in  the  spiritual  mediums.  I  do  not 
see  anything  in  the  Gospel  to  correspond  with  a  medium,  except 
the  'Lord  Jesus':  he  was  our  Mediator  and  Saviour.  To  be 
sure,  the  'angel  of  the  Lord'  appeared  unto  many,  but  does 
not  seem  to  me  through  a  medium.  I  believe,  dear,  that  every 
word  that  you  say  in  reference  to  it  is  the  truth,  so  far  as 
your  understanding  goes.    There  must  be  a  power  that  impresses 


98  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

yoii  some  way,  and  I  cannot  see  that  you  are  any  the  worse  for  it. 
You  are  in  your  right  mind,  are  n't  you  ?     {Crazy,  they  call  you.) 

B is  awfully  down  on  your  book,  and  H keeps  hers  locked 

up.    I  told  Mrs. you  had  been  writing  a  book.     She  wished 

to  read  it,  so  I  lent  her  mine.  She  said  it  was  the  best  work  she 
had  ever  read  on  that  subject.  She  is  a  great  reader;  also,  we 
have  always  supposed,  a  sincere  Christian. 

May  I  ask  you,  do  you  hold  any  converse  with  spirits  gone  be- 
fore without  the  assistance  of  a  medium  ?  Do  you  have  any  reve- 
lations now  while  you  are  away  ?  If  so,  it  seems  as  if  you  would 
hear  from  us  up  here,  —  our  thoughts  and  feelings,  if  they  are 
known." 

Beloved  child,  what  you  say  in  regard  to  spiritual  mediums 
does  not  surprise  us  in  the  least ;  but  I  think  we  can  perhaps 
explain  to  you  in  part.  "We  do  not,  it  is  true,  in  the  Bible  see  the 
word  "  medium  "  applied  as  in  spiritual  writings  of  the  present  day ; 
but  if  we  have  the  right  understanding,  the  word  "  gift  "  as  there 
used  has  the  same  interpretation  as  "  phase  "  with  us.  "  Diversity 
of  gifts  "  is  no  more  nor  less  than  diversity  of  phases  of  medium- 
ship;  and  there  is  ^' phase  of  tlie  same  corresponding  'precisely  witli 
each  separate  gift  there  mentioned,  as  well  as  some  minor  phases 
which  are  not  mentioned.  Jesus  Christ,  our  great  mediator,  pos- 
sessed all  of  these  phases  in  a  high  degree  of  perfection.  Among 
his  apostles,  as  St.  Paul  tells  us,  these  gifts  were  distributed.  We 
should  infer  from  reading  the  chapter  that  only  one  gift  was  pos- 
sessed by  any  one  individual ;  but  as  we  find  many  of  them  exer- 
cised more  than  that,  we  take  it  as  a  general  term  of  expression ; 
each  one  doubtless  had  a  gift  which  was  his  specialty,  as  do  our 
mediums  of  the  present  day ;  for  believe  me,  friend,  every  inspired 
writer,  apostle,  and  prophet,  who  took  part  in  the  construction  of 
the  Bible,  was  a  medium,  whether  so  called  or  not.  One  of  the 
most  "eminent  divines  of  the  Orthodox  church,"  tivelve  years 
ago,  after  holding  his  audience  spellbound  through  a  long  and 
eloquent  discourse  on  the  inspiration  of  St.  Paul,  paused  and  qui- 
etly said,  "  I  suppose  many  of  you  have  already  asked  how  the 
inspiration  of  St.  Paul  differed  from  the  inspiration  of  modern 
spiritual  mediums ;  for  the  day  has  long  since  passed  when  any 
candid  and  thinhing  mmd  would  doubt  the  claims  of  modern 
mediums  to  special  influx."  And  then  he  said  :  "  /  ansicer  that 
the  inspiratio7i  of  the  modern  mediums  is  precisely  like  the  inspi- 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  99 

ration  of  Paid ;  tlie  only  difference  leing  that  the  inspiration  of 
Paul  was  hy  authority,  and  that  of  the  modern  mcdiuin  is  witii- 
OUT  AUTHORITY."  As  to  the  pliascs  of  mediumsliip,  inspirational 
is  one  of  the  highest,  corresponding  to  the  "gift"  "  word  of  wis- 
dom." Impressional  is  another,  corresponding  to  "  word  of 
knowledge."  These  phases,  which  are  often  combined  in  one 
person,  are  given  directly  to  that  person  by  tlie  controlling  spirit  ; 
therefore  requiring  no  assistance,  from  any  other  medinm.  This 
class  embraces  our  writers  and  speakers  of  the  present  day  as  it 
did  in  former  times.  And  many  of  our  most  able  and  intelligent 
orators  are  thus  inspired,  unconsciously  to  themselves  j  while  oth- 
ers not  a  few,  who  are  conscious  of  the  gift  they  possess  as  well 
as  the  source  from  which  their  power  is  derived,  remain  incog, 
from  policy.  We  give  an  instance  of  the  latter  as  follows.  A 
friend  writes :  — 

"  On  one  occasion  I  was  struck  with  the  report  of  a  sermon  by 
a  very  orthodox  man,  given  by  a  parishioner,  and  called  on  his 
pastor,  then  in  an  Eastern  city,  and  now  far  West ;  and  as  soon 
as  he  found  I  was  a  Christian  Spiritualist,  he  told  me  that  both 
he  and  his  wife  were  mediums,  and  to  .that  he  owed  his  popularity 
(which  was  very  great). 

'  I  would  not  deny  it,'  he  said,  '  but  I  do  not  feel  called  upon  to 
parade  it  before  the  world,  when  it  would  lessen  my  influence  to 
promote  the  spread  of  that  truth  which  this  development  is  de- 
signed to  establish.' " 

These  phases  of  mediumship,  which  are  really  the  most  satis- 
factory to  an  aspiring  mind,  are  also  very  common.  The  other 
phases  all  have  their  uses,  as  did  the  different  gifts.  "  But  all 
these  worketh  one  and  the  selfsame  spirit,  dividing  to  every  man 
severally  as  he  will."  As  there  are  many  different  gifts,  so  are 
there  many  different  classes  of  minds  to  enlighten  and  instruct; 
while  one  of  these  gifts  miglit  be  an  eye-opener  to  one,  it  would 
produce  not  the  slightest  effect  upon  another  possessing  different 
qualities  of  mind  and  heart.  Take  yourself,  for  example  :  imme- 
diately upon  the  perusal  of  our  book,  which  (if  we  mistake  not) 
was  the  first  you  had  ever  read  of  that  character,  you  were  con- 
vinced that  some  power  outside  of  the  medium  directed  her  efforts. 
Now  let  me  ask  you  if,  had  you  witnessed  another  phase,  table- 
tipping,  for  instance,  it  would  have  produced  the  same  effect  upon 
your  mind?     I  think  not.    While  many  another  person,  who 


100  THE   UNSEALED    BOOK. 

would  consider  the  book  mere  trasli,  and  would  not  waste  tlieir 
time  in  reading  a  work  of  this  character,  if  they  should  see  a  table 
or  chair  jump  around  the  room  by  the  laying  on  of  their  hands, 
would  be  in  rapturous  glee,  instantaneously  convinced  that  there 
must  be  ^^  something  in  it,"  and  perhaps  be  led  to  search  out  the 
matter.  There  are,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  those  who,  even  after  they 
perceive  iha  truth  of  these  things,  have  no  desire  to  progress,  and 
therefore  never  get  beyond  these  low  orders  of  physical  manifesta- 
tions ;  while  others  advance  step  by  step  from  lower  to  higher ; 
many,  even  at  the  outset,  commencing  on  a  higher  plane  of 
development  than  some  wlio  have  been  slowly  progressing  for  years. 

We  doubt  if  there  are  any  iiossessing  the  higher  phases  of  me- 
diumship  who  do  not  also  possess  some  of  the  lower  ones  which 
may  be  called  into  action  when  occasion  requires  for  the  benefit 
of  those  whom  the  higher  ones  would  outreach ;  but  they  have  no 
need  to  use  them  in  their  own  behalf,  finding  "a  far  more  exceed- 
ing and  eternal  weight  of  glory"  in  the  first  mentioned.  This  is, 
to  us,  conclusive  reason  why  these  orders  of  mediumship  are  less 
traceable  in  both  the  ancient  and  modern  inspired  writings.  It 
is  also  the  reason  why  we  chose  to  dwell  more  especially  upon 
these  in  our  former  work,  which  was  intended  for  beginners.  Ad- 
vanced Spiritualists  would  regard  it  as  a  mere  primer. 

The  trance  phase  gives  good  satisfaction  to  many,  and  the  evi- 
dence is  truthful  and  conclusive  under  the  right  conditions  ;  but 
these  are  not  always  available.  Therefore  what  is  given  through 
the  organism  of  these  mediums  is  but  as  grains  of  sand  on  the 
sea-shore  compared  to  what  we  can  give  impressionally.  We  also 
give  much  in  dreams  or  visions,  and  symbols.  These  you  will  find 
are  scattered  in  profusion  throughout  the  sacred  writings.  You 
"svill  also  find,  upon  a  close  examination  of  the  Old  Testament, 
that  the  kings  and  nearly  all  of  the  celebrated  characters  men- 
tioned therein  had  recourse  to  magicians,  astrologers  {mediums 
i.  e.),  and  that  their  supply  of  wisdom  and  power  was  derived  — 
either  directly  or  indirectly  —  from  the  spirit  world.  The  Magi, 
or  wise  men  from  the  East,  in  our  Saviour's  time,  were  also  me- 
diums. You  will  recollect  that  our  Saviour  said,  "  I  have  many 
things  to  say  unto  you,  but  ye  cannot  bear  them  now."  To  his 
apostles  and  immediate  followers  he  said,  "  The  works  that  I  do 
shall  ye  do  also  "  ;  and  they  did  them,  never  knowing  themselves 
how  or  why,  except  that  the  power  was  given  them  from  ou  high. 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  101 

Philosophy  and  science  have  since  been  at  work,  and  for  the  past 
few  years  their  strides  have  been  rapid  toward  the  attainment  of 
knowledge  regarding  the  fixed  laws  of  nature  which  govern  and 
control  all  things.  "  Spirit  intercourse  and  its  true  philosophy 
is  now  known  and  believed  in  by  many  millions  of  the  j^resent 
generation,  including  the  most  eminent  and  enlightened  minds  of 
the  world,  —  in  fact,  no  others  can  have  a  perfect  intellection  of 
its  philosophy,  — many  of  whom  not  only  believe,  but  know,  not 
from  high-wrought  feelings  of  excitement,  intense  orgasm,  or 
contagious  sympathy,  which  religious  converts  experience,  but 
witli  cool,  positive  demonstration  of  science  and  absolute  knowl- 
edge." 

Whether  our  medium  is  in  her  right  mind  or  not,  "  judge  ye." 
We  should  not  count  her  a  true  disciple  if  her  works  and  ways 
were  not  such  as  to  elicit  terms  of  reproach  from  some  of  her 
MORE  "  crazy"  friends;  but  when  they  all  get  crazy,  we'll  have 
a  good  time  together. 

May  God  bless  you,  dear  child,  and  strengthen  your  good  en- 
deavors. We  might  convey  some  of  your  thoughts  southward,  for 
we  can  both  read  and  impress  you  to  some  extent,  but  it  is  not 
our  mission  to  "tell  tales  out  of  school."     {Controlling  spirit.) 

Next  morning. 

Darling,  I  believe  I  must  add  a  postscript,  for  somehow  it 
seems  to  me  this  letter  was  the  means  or  measures  used  by  a  "  higher 
Power"  to  prevent  the  destruction  of  property,  if  not  to  preserve 
life.  I  attended  a  concert  last  evening  given  by  a  blind  girl. 
Yv'hen  I  came  home  it  was  rather  early  to  retire,  so  I  commenced 
penning  the  reply  to  your  letter. 

After  I  had  done  so  I  could  not  seem  to  leave  it  until  finished, 
which  took  me  into  the  "  wee  small  hours  "  of  the  night.  It  was 
a  very  unusual  and  seemingly  foolish  thing  for  me  to  do  like  this, 
as  I  had  i)lenty  of  time  for  writing  you  to-day. 

AVhen  I  was  through  I  went  to  the  window  and  saw  near  the 
back  piazza  quite  a  bhize  of  fire,  which  proceeded  from  an  ash- 
barrel,  probably  kindling  from  live  coals  or  sparks  left  in  the 
ashes.  There  was  a  sort  of  form  covered  with  dry  boards  near, 
one  end  of  which  had  already  caught  fire.  If  this  had  not  been 
discovered,  the  house  must  shortly  have  been  in  flames.  There 
were  others  immediately  adjoining,  and  I  believe  (as  the  lady  of 


102  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

the  house  herself  said)  the  whole  block  of  buildings  would  have 
been  consumed.  There  was  a  gentle  breeze  at  the  time,  which 
soon  arose  to  quite  a  gale  of  wind.  The  family  were  quietly 
sleeping  in  another  part  of  the  house,  which  is  a  large  one,  and 
the  " head  of  the  family"  was  away  from  home.  As  I  have  told 
you  before,  this  is  a  small  town,  and  they  have  no  facilities  for 
extinguishing  fires. 

I  will  here  insert  one  of  the  songs  of  the  blind  girl,  sung  with 
sweet,  pathetic  tones.  The  words  are  simple  (as  was  the  music), 
yet  so  comprehensive,  so  comforting  and  encouraging. 

"In  some  way  or  other  the  Lord  will  provide  : 
It  may  not  be  my  way, 
It  may  not  be  thy  way, 
And  yet  in  his  own  way 

The  Lord  will  provide. 

At  some  time  or  other  the  Lord  will  provide  : 
It  may  not  be  imi  time, 
It  may  not  be  thy  time. 
And  yet  in  his  own  time 

The  Lord  will  provide. 

Despond  then  no  longer,  the  Lord  will  i)rovide  : 
And  this  be  the  token,  — 
No  word  he  hath  spoken 
Was  ever  yet  broken  ; 

The  Lord  will  provide. 

March  on  then  right  boldly,  the  sea  shall  divide. 
The  path  be  made  glorious 
With  shoutings  victorious. 
We  '11  join  in  the  chorus. 

The  Lord  will  provide," 


"  All  things  are  ready,  begin  thy  appointed 

Task."     These  words  keep  ringing  in  mine  ears  ;  from 

Whom  they  come,  for  what  purpose  they  are  sent, 

I  know  not ;  I  place  them  here  and  wait.     Ask 

Ye  for  what  I  wait?     For  further  light,  for 

Wisdom  more  to  come  ;  my  daily  food  is 


THE   UNSEALED  BOOK.  103 

Spent,  I  hunger,  thirst  for  more  ;  how  long,  O 
Lord,  have  I  to  wait?  and  what  may  be  the 
Task  thou  hast  for  me  ?     O,  make  it  plain  I 
Pray  !  for  I  am  ready,  I  am  waiting. 

"As  a  sheep  before  its  shearers  is  dumb,' 

So  they  opened  not  their  mouths.     Two  months 

Ago  and  more  our  little  book  went  forth  ; 

It  was  our  care  that  our  people,  dwellers 

Of  my  native  town,  should  be  first  served.     "VYo 

Labored  zealously  at  the  last,  fearing  the 

Issue  of  our  book  would  be  too  late  for 

"  Christmas  gift."    Some  there  we  sent  on  sale, 

Others  as  souv'nirs.     Were  they  in  time  r 

"We  know  not,  neither  can  we  tell  the  day 

Or  the  horn'  of  their  debut ;  this  much  we 

Do  know,  they  were  duly  sent :  weeks  afterward 

We  incidentally  did  hear  they  reached 

Their  destination.     How  were  they  received? 

Time's  tongue  must  tell  if  e'er  it  gets  unloosed ; 

No  soul  from  there  has  yet  vouchsafed  to  us 

A  "thank  you,"  much  less,  a  kind  "  God  speed"  :  we 

Comprehend  not  why  these  same  do  hold  their 

Peace  in  just  this  way.     Solomon  the  Wise 

Did  say  :  "  Even  a  fool,  when  he  holdeth 

His  peace,  is  counted  wise."     But  this  cannot 

To  these  apply.     Oui-  people  wc  have  oft 

Been  told  were  a  conservative  people. 

Bo  this  as  it  may,  we  know  them  to  be 

An  intelligent  and  well-read  people, 

Therefore  we  think  the  reason  of  their  silence 

Must  be  this  :  "  The  heart  of  the  righteous 

Studieth  to  answer."     May  we  not  hope 

To  receive  from  their  mouths  words  which  shall  bo 

As  deep  waters  ;  and  from  their  wellspring  of 

Wisdom,  thoughts  which  shall  refresh  the  soul  as 

A  flowing  brook  ? 


104  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

"We  have  been  debating  within  ourselves  as  to  which  is  the  most 
beneficial  in  its  results  to  mankind,  —  active  ignorance  or  passive 
knowledge. 

Our  decision  is  in  favor  of  the  former ;  which,  although  it  is 
terrible  to  combat,  gives  an  opportunity  of  development,  both  to 
the  possessor  and  to  the  recij^ient  or  recipients  of  his  wis- 
dom ( ! ).  While  passive  knowledge  bears  no  fruit  outside  its  own 
individual  capacity.  '  Its  possessor  may  be  wise  in  his  own  con- 
ceit, but  has  not  reached  even  the  "  alpha"  of  true  wisdom.  Let 
us  pray  for  the  days  of  enligliteament  and  freshening  to  come, 
when  we  shall  have  on\j  ijassive  ignorance  to  contend  with,  which 
will  be  easily  uprooted  by  the  true  wisdom  of  those  possessing 
active  knowledge  combined  with  love  of  truth. 

"  Speak  of  angels  and  you  will  hear  the  flutter  of  their  wings," 
contains  more  truth  than  poetry  sometimes.  Two  letters  have 
come  from  inhabitants  of  our  town :  the  first,  whose  wellspring 
of  wisdom  has  been  so  long  pent,  gushes  forth :  — 

"  I  have  felt  I  could  not  say  one  word  of  my  thoughts  to  you, 
whom  I  felt  were  sincere,  doing  what  you  believed  was  for  the 
cause  of  right  and  good.  When  any  one  has  asked  my  opinion,  I 
have  invariably  replied,  that  I  did  '  not  wish  to  discuss  the  book.* 
One  objection  which  had  weight  with  me  in  this  has  been,  that 
if  spirits  controlled  you  to  write,  —  as  you  believe,  —  they  ought 
to  be  able,  if  they  have  advanced  in  their  life  beyond,  to  write  in 
a  style  superior  to  our  hest  luriters  here.  I  do  not  think  the 
rhythm  and  harmony  of  the  verse  at  all  to  be  compared  with  that 
of  our  first-class  writers;  and  the  comment  that  forces  itself  is, 
if  they  cannot  do  better,  it  would  be  to  their  credit  not  to  make 
the  attempt." 

Reply. 

"  Show  me  him  who  never  changes  his  opinions,  never  learns, 
never  progresses,  and  I'll  show  you  a  fool  who  morally  stands 
still  and  vegetates  like  any  other  tree,  on  whom  a  just  God  should 
not  force  immortality  against  his  will.  'He  who  cannot  rea- 
son is  a  fool;  he  who  dare  not  reason  is  a  coward;  who  will 
not  reason  is  a  bigot ;  but  show  to  me  him  who  can  and  does 
reason,  and  I  '11  show  you  a  man,'  and  a  progressive  man,  and,  if 
honest,  the  highest  type  of  God's  mundane  works. 

All  things  are  not  possible  with  God.  He  cannot  possibly 
make  heat  and  cold,  light  and  darkness,  coexist  together;  nor 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  105 

any  two  things  antagonistic  harmonize,  or  occupy  the  same  place 
at  the  same  time.  He  cannot  make  a  two-year-old,  anything,  in 
an  hour,  —  to  use  an  inelegant  and  rather  uncouth  phrase,  but  in 
point  full  of  potential  significance;  you  will  pardon  me,  I  am 
after  the  truth,  if  I  have  to  get  it  in  vulgar  garb  ;  I  seek  the 
jewel,  if  I  have  to  dig  it  from  dirty  rubbish ;  if  he  could,  then 
there  is  no  excuse  or  reason  why  he  does  not  make  the  high  and 
happy  angel  of  a  century's  development,  immediately  upon  the  cre- 
ation of  poor,  miserable  man,  as  fabled  Minerva  sprang,  full 
fledged,  from  the  brain  of  Jove." 

Our  second  letter  contains  the  following  :  — 

"1  hope  the  time  will  come  when  we  can  see  and  believe  more 
alike  ;  you  know  I  have  a  good  many  cares  and  anxieties,  with  so 
many  children  to  try  and  help  do  for." 

"  The  time  will  come,  is  coming  day  by  day,  hour  by  hour,  and 
even  now  thou  art  not  wide  apart,  as  we  who  read  thine  inmost 
soul  discern.  Thy  cares  and  anxieties  have  been,  still  are,  nu- 
merous ;  yea,  thou  hast  done,  still  art  doing  for  thy  children,  thine 
own  dear  ones,  more  than  thy  most  exalted  imagination  has  ever 
pictured  or  dreamed ;  more,  a  hundred-fold  more,  than  the  artifi- 
cial observer  who  might  accuse  thee  of  doing  too  little.  Thou 
hast  ploughed  deep  in  the  soil  of  their  hearts ;  the  seed  hath  not 
only  been  well  sown,  but  hath  been  watered  and  tended  with  care, 
nurtured  in  the  warm  sunshine  of  thy  affectionate  love.  This 
seed  hath  taken  deep  root,  is  firmly  stranded  in  the  soil,  and  some 
e'eu  now  is  bearing  fruit.  Thy  harvest  shall  be  plenteous,  thy 
garners  well  filled,  and  filled  with  good  grain. 

Then  courage,  brother !  Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled,  neither 
let  it  be  afraid,  for  all  with  thee  is  well.  Who  only  stirs  the  sur- 
face of  the  soil  may  sooner  reap,  but  not  to  perfection,  for  some  will 
by  the  midday's  burning  heat  be  scorched;  other  some  the  chill- 
ing, searching  winds  of  reality  and  adversity  may  blast  and  uproot. 

Thy  life  hath  been  one  of  vicissitude  and  seeming  unrest.  Yet 
these  very  changes  have  developed,  enlightened,  educated  your 
mentality,  which,  though  unpretending  and  unobtrusive,  stands 
high  in  the  region  of  thought  and  good  understanding.  Then 
fear  thou  not,  but  go  on  thy  way  rejoicing,  assured  by  us  that  not 
only  tliy  children,  but  tliy  children's  children,  for  generations  to 
come,  shall '  arise  up  and  call  thee  blessed.' " 


106  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

THOUGHTS 

SUGGESTED   BY  A   CONVERSATION   WITH   THE   BLIND   GIEL. 

So  quiet,  gentle,  guileless  too,  she  seemed, 

Her  trust  reposing  all  in  Him,  who,  as 

Her  sweetest  song  bespoke,  will  for  his 

Children  dear  provide  in  his  "own  time,"  in 

His  "  own  way."     She  could  not  mourn  the  loss 

Of  sight,  for  sight  —  except  the  inward  vision 

Pure  —  she  ne'er  had  known  ;  but  this  to  her  had 

Been  vouchsafed  wondrously  clear,  in  other 

Words,  she  had  a  tender  angel  guide  who 

Never  left  unless  another  one  her 

Kept  in  charge  ;  she  knew  this  not,  although  she 

Had  no  fears  for  herself,  travelling  from  place 

To  place  continually  with  no  accompanying 

Earthly  guide  or  protector,  alleging 

That  her  very  misfortune  was  to  her 

A  safeguard  and  protection,  eliciting 

From  those  with  whom  she  came  in  contact  both 

Sympathy  and  kindness.     With  childlike 

Simplicity  she  asked  if  any  could 

Her  tell,  how  it  was  that  she  could  a  person's 

Presence  sense,  without  from  them  the  slightest  sound 

Or  perceptible  movement ;  and  then  she  says, 

"  If  a  person  stares  at  me  I  feel  it : 

If  a  person  speaks  to  me  I  know  their 

Character  at  once,  my  first  impression 

Of  them  is  always  correct."     These  things  she 

Knew,  though  not  by  outward  vision  ;  of  the 

Angel  presence  she  knew  nothing,  although 

It  did  her  sweetest,  holiest  songs  inspire  ; 

But  she  in  time  will  these  things  also  learn. 

"I  have,"  she  said,  "met  and  conversed  with  some 

Spiritualists,  and  they  seemed  so  happy. 


THE   XJNSEALED   BOOK.  107 

So  cheerful."     Yes,  sister,  and  we  would  that 
All  our  happiness  might  share  ;  in  some  way 
Or  other,  at  some  time  or  other,  they 
Must,  they  will,  for  "no  word  He  hath  spoken 
Was  ever  yet  broken."    He  "will  provide." 

We  might  go  further  and  say,  He  7ms  provided  the  way.  In 
confirmation  of  this,  we  give  an  extract  from  Eenibcrt's  "  Philos- 
ophy of  Life."  We  have  ah-eady  quoted  a  little  from  this  deep- 
toned  and  most  excellent  work,  and  may  do  so  more  in  future. 

"Now  in  view  of  all  the  facts  and  truths  I  have  presented,  espe- 
cially considering  the  great  developments  of  late  scientific  research 
in  the  domain  of  mind,  the  universal  ethereal  medium  through 
which  mind  acts  upon  mind  at  any  distance  and  without  any 
obstruction,  when  minds  are  in  rapport  with  each  other,  is  it  not 
a  wonder  that  deceased  spirit  friends,  if  they  be  really  living,  do 
not  thus  communicate  with  some  of  us  in  the  flesh,  with  whom 
they  may  come  in  rapport?  Isn't  it  a  wonder  that  excarnated 
human  spirits  don't  see  and  communicate  with  us  incarnated 
spirits  through  this  same  universal  electro-ethereal  medium 
through  whicli  we  communicate  with  one  another  on  this  rudi- 
mental  earth  plane  ? 

When  men  in  the  flesh  have  learned  to  use  this  mystic  medium 
by  putting  themselves  in  and  assuming  that  necessary  negative 
condition  of  perfect  passivity  and  receptivity,  is  it  not  a  wonder 
that  those  out  of  the  flesh,  if  still  in  existence,  do  not  then  mani- 
fest themselves  to  us  through  this  same  medium  of  the  many 
millious  on  both  sides  of  such  various  electric  temperaments? 
And  when  we  also  consider  that  some,  in  all  ages  of  mankind, 
have  had  such  mysterious  manifestations  without  understanding 
them,  is  it  not  a  wonder  indeed  that  our  spirit  friends  in  the 
spirit  spheres  do  not  now  manifest  themselves  intelligibly  to  us 
with  our  present  progressed  facilities  ?  As  we  have  learned  the 
lightning  and  lettered  its  sheets,  and  thus  attest  our  immortality 
and  their  felicity  ?  The  science  of  mind  and  electricity  has 
reached  that  point  that  we  must  expect,  nay,  must  have,  such 
communications  from  our  friends  who  have  gone  before,  or  else 
conclude  forever  that  they  live  no  more.  For  spirit  here  can  now 
communicate  with  spirit  unimpeded  by  flesh,  distance,  or  any 


108  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

other  obstacle ;  and  some  of  those  eliminated  spirits  who  have ' 
left  the  body  can  communicate  through  the  same  universal  me- 
dium to  some  of  us  yet  in  the  body  in  unison  with  them ;  there- 
fore if  they  do  not  now  communicate,  we  are  bound  to  believe 
they  live  no  more,  but  died  and  perished  with  their  bodies.  But 
cease  these  wonders,  dry  your  tears,  dispel  your  doubts,  linger  no 
longer  your  patient  expectations,  for  list,  ye  tenants  of  the  tomb ! 
Hear  it,  and  feel  a  new  glory  thrill  your  vital  being  of  your  mor- 
tal body,  ye  prisoned  spirits  of  the  mouldering  urn  !  The  glori- 
ous truth  and  the  glorious  proof  of  your  immortal  life  and 
immortal  love  hath  sounded  its  glorious  symphonies  upon  your 
sombre  shores !  The  glorious  reality  has  come,  the  mighty  and 
momentous  truth  in  lights  of  supernal  splendor  has  blazed  upon 
the  world.  Just  at  the  time  when  science  leads  us  to  look  for  it 
and  must  have  it,  or  bury  our  hopes  and  loves  in  the  grave  for- 
ever, the  grand  and  glorious  fact  comes  careering  on  the  wings 
of  the  wind,  ay,  on  the  lightning's  pinion,  with  angelic  anthems. 
And  0,  what  a  fact,  wdiat  a  truth,  is  tliis  we  have  learned  in  our 
favored  nineteenth  century !  Every  pulsation  of  our  corporeal, 
and  every  vital  vibration  of  our  spiritual  heart  should  beat, 
throughout  the  infinite  future,  glory  to  our  Creator. 

That  was  a  grand  event  in  the  pages  of  the  past,  when  Colum- 
bus pictured  a  new  and  unknown  continent  on  the  map  of  the 
world ;  but  this  new  continent,  like  the  old,  is  filled  with  the  bit- 
terness of  death  and  blasted  hopes. 

That  was  a  proud  period  for  man  when  the  printing-press  leaped 
forth  from  the  mind  of  Faust  and  Guttenburg  to  spread  knowl- 
edge broadcast  among  the  nations,  and  render  her  springs  imper- 
ishable; but  its  reflected  lights  never  reached  beyond  the  dim 
horizon  around  us. 

That  was  an  epoch  in  the  chronology  of  time  when  Christ  stood 
forth  and  proclaimed  immortal  life  to  the  good  and  true ;  but  he 
only  proclaimed  the  truth,  and  left  the  world  still  in  the  darkness 
of  doubt.  And  that  was  sublime  when  he  illustrated  his  life  in 
his  glorious  death,  and  was  lost  to  mortal  vision  in  the  brightness 
of  his  empyreal  sphere ;  but  the  splendor  of  his  illustration  grows 
dim  in  the  distance,  and  the  glory  of  his  ascension  is  believed  by 
few  and  known  to  none.  But  all  these  grand  events  and  epochs 
of  the  past  grow  pale  before  the  luminous  eifulgence  of  this  new- 
risen  sun  of  science  which  is  now  illuminating  the  world  of  mind. 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  109 

They  sink  into  insignificance  beside  the  gathered  glories  of  this 
new  apocalypse  which  is  brightening  into  bliss  the  sorrows  and 
sufferings  of  earth's  dying  children.  JSTot  with  meelv  proclama- 
tion, nor  proud  preaching,  nor  pompous  declamation  on  futile 
faith,  but  based  on  philosophy,  with  absolute  demonstration  and 
certainty  of  science,  this  grand  and  mighty  truth,  so  long  dark, 
dormant,  and  unknown,  has  leaped  into  light,  life,  and  knowl- 
edge, and  already  warms  the  hearts  of  its  enlightened  millions, 
soothing  their  sorrows,  easing  their  agonies,  and  binding  the  glory 
of  immortality  around  their  love. 

That  Jesus  was  a  most  perfect  harmonic  man,  with  the  highest 
spiritual  endowments,  it  is  only  necessary  to  state,  for  those  who 
even  doubt  these  transcendent  merits,  that  from  the  Acta  Pilati 
transmitted  to  Eome,  Tiberias  Cassar,  the  emperor,  was  influenced 
to  suggest  to  the  Senate  the  propriety  of  admitting  him  among 
the  number  of  gods,  and  sent  his  own  prerogative  vote,  in  favor 
of  the  measure.  But  Jesus  was  not  our  God  and  Creator,  for  all 
this  and  much  more,  for  all  his  splendid  percej)tions,  and  wonder- 
ful revelations,  and  apocalypse  and  exalted  practices;  he  was  our 
great,  gifted,  spiritualized  brother  of  humanity,  and  illustrious 
exemplar  of  social  life.  But  Jesus  is  worshipped  as  a  God,  or 
rather  the  God ;  yet  he  says,  '  Why  callest  thou  me  good  ?  There 
is  none  good  but  one,  that  is  God.'  'Thou  shall  worship  the 
Lord  thy  God,  and  him  only  shalt  thou  serve.'  That  there  is  but 
one  God,  and  he  is  in  heaven,  that  it  is  not  his  to  give,  but  his 
father's,  etc. 

The  splendid  Milton  is  so  often  cited  as  the  pink  of  Protestant 
orthodoxy,  that  I  should  mention  here  his  posthumous  state  pa- 
pers, published  in  1823,  prove  him  to  have  become  decidedly 
Arian  in  his  opinions  on  this  point;  that  the  character  of  Jesus 
was  moulded  in  the  most  perfect  model  of  human  nature,  the 
beauty,  harmony,  and  symmetry  of  his  proportions  constituting 
the  most  perfect  paragon  of  humanity  that  ever  existed,  but  not 
God.  And  what  sensible  scientific  man  of  this  day  can  believe 
otherwise  ?     Milton  lived  a  century  ahead  of  his  contemporaries." 

"  And  it  came  to  pass  that,  while  Apollos  was  at  Corinth,  Paul 
having  passed  through  the  upper  coasts  came  to  Ephesus :  and 
finding  certain  disciples. 

He  said  unto  them,  Have  ye  received  the  Holy  Ghost  since  yo 


110  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

believed  ?  And  they  said  unto  him.  We  liave  not  so  much  as  heard 
whether  there  he  any  Holy  Ghost. 

And  he  said  unto  them,  Unto  what  then  were  ye  baptized  ? 
And  they  said,  Unto  John's  baptism. 

Then  said  Paul,  John  verily  baptized  with  the  baptism  of  re- 
pentance, saying  unto  the  people  that  they  should  believe  on  him 
which  should  come  after  him,  that  is,  on  Christ  Jesus. 

When  they  heard  this,  they  were  baptized  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord  Jesus. 

And  when  Paul  had  laid  his  hands  upon  them,  the  Holy  Ghost 
came  on  them ;  and  they  spake  tvith  tongues,  and  prophesied.''^ 

We  would  ask  if  this  doth  not  verify  the  statement  previously 
made  concerning  Christ's  followers  (doing  the  works  which  he 
did,  scarce  knowing  how  or  why)  ?  Their  own  words  proving 
that  they  not  even  knew  that  there  was  a  Holy  Ghost  (or  spirits, 
if  you  please,  which,  as  we  endeavored  to  make  plain  in  our  for- 
mer work,  bear  the  same  interpretation).  "  But  the  Comforter, 
which  is  the  Holy  Ghost,  whom  the  Father  will  send  in  my  name, 
he  shall  teach  you  all  things  and  bring  all  things  to  your  remem- 
brance, whatsoever  I  have  said  unto  you."  We  would  also  ask  if 
this  truth  is  not  becoming  more  manifest,  and  our  Saviour's  glo- 
rious teachings  more  luminous  and  grand,  as  brought  to  remem- 
brance, explained  and  elucidated  by  the  bright  progressive  spirits 
"  gone  before  "  ? 

This  from  the  letter  of  a  very  dear  friend  :  — 

"  I  know  your  book  will  be  read  and  appreciated  by  many. 

Cousin spent  a  night  with  us  last  week.     He  was  looking 

over  the  titles  of  our  books,  and  I  called  his  attention  to  yours. 
He  immediately  took  it  and  began  to  read,  and  got  so  much  inter- 
ested that  he  read  the  greater  part  of  it  before  he  left.  He  ex- 
pressed himself  as  much  pleased  with  many  of  the  ideas  contained 
in  it,  though  I  believe  he  is  an  Adventist,  or  at  least  he  used  to 
be.  He  thought  that  part  of  the  book  which  portrayed  the  pub- 
lic sentiment  in  regard  to  Elizabeth  Tilton  as  compared  with 
Beecher,  especially  good ;  also  that  in  regard  to  the  laws  of  divorce 
and  property  as  applied  to  woman  and  to  man.  Your  book  will 
do  its  work,  and  a  good  work  too." 

Whether  Adventist,  Spiritualist,  or  Eomanist  by  name,  it  mat- 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  Ill 

ters  not,  if  the  understanding  be  quickened  to  receive  and  inward- 
ly digest  the  teachings  of  equity  and  justice,  as  enlightened  rea- 
son, the  God-principle  of  nature,  dictates. 

There  are  countless  millions  upon  the  earth,  who  have  never, 
with  their  outward  ears,  heard  of  Spiritualism,  who  are  truer 
Spiritualists  at  heart,  than  many  who  have  named  the  name. 

And  "there  is  vastly  more  conviction  on  the  part  of  the  clergy 
than  is  made  manifest,  or  calls  itself  Spiritualism.  God  keeps 
his  agents  preparing  the  way  for  new  revelations. 

A  few  weeks  since  I  attended  the  opening  services  in  one  of  oar 
city  churches  after  the  summer  vacation.  The  pastor  is  among 
the  most  popular  of  all  the  clergy  of  this  giant  city,  and  circum- 
stances made  it  an  occasion  of  more  than  ordinary  rejoicing  that 
they  had  resumed  services  around  their  favorite  altar ;  and  in  the 
fervor  of  the  pastor's  gratitude  to  God,  he  thanked  him  that  '  we 
can  feel  assured  that  those  who  have  loved  to  meet  with  us  here 
and  have  left  the  earth  for  the  higher  life,  are  yet  able  to  join  us 
at  this  time  of  our  rejoicing,  and  that  they  still  hold  dear  this 
place  of  their  former  worship.'  I  was  not  a  little  surprised,  but 
supposed  the  expression  due  to  the  effect  of  memory  on  the  emo- 
tions, during  the  inspired  moments  of  earnest  prayer.  But  my 
surprise  was  greater,  when  I  found  the  sentiment  only  the  repeti- 
tion of  the  calm  and  deliberate  statement  of  the  pastor,  when 
writing  his  sermon  in  his  study,  where  he  enlarged  upon  the  idea. 
I  was  greatly  astonished,  when  I  met  him  on  business  the  next 
week,  to  learn  that  he  '  had  no  sympathy  loith  Spiritualism,  and 
thought  it  was  doing  injury ! '  I  was  not  disposed  to  question 
his  assertion,  but  thought  to  myself  that  the  sentiments  of  the 
prayer  and  sermon  of  the  preceding  Sabbath  prej^ared  many  a 
mind  to  conclude  that  if  spirits  attended  church  and  joined  in 
communion  service,  it  would  be  equally  easy  for  them  to  go  to 
some  medium,  if  thereby  they  could  express  their  interest  in  lov- 
ing friends,  and  many  would  reason  that  they  would  be  more  at- 
tracted there  than  to  church. 

I  might  multiply  instances  showing  that  God  is  preparing  Ihe 
Church,  as  well  as  the  world,  to  welcome  this  providence  which  is 
soon  to  end  the  evils  and  dissensions  of  sectarianism,  and  silence 
the  voice  of  the  materialist,  by  demonstrating  the  meaning  of  the 
New  Testament,  so  that  there  shall  be  no  chance  to  doubt.  With- 
in a  week,  one  of  the  rising  stars  and  earnest  defenders  of  Trini- 


112  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

tarian  theology  visited  a  medium  friend  of  mine,  and  solicited  a 
seance,  and  appeared  to  enjoy  it.  I  know  a  bishop  of  the  Epis- 
copal church,  who  is  said  to  make  no  secret  of  his  interest  and 
conyiction.  The  opinions  of  the  Beecher  family,  especially  Eev. 
Thomas  K.,  of  Elmira,  and  Mrs.  Stowe,  have  not  only  made  many 
converts,  through  the  Christian  Union,  but  have  emboldened 
others  to  express  what  they  were  before  disposed  to  conceal,  and 
must  have  led  many  prejudiced  persons  to  inquiry." 

"  Enhghtened  intellect,  a  strong,  clear  mind  with  true  philos- 
ophy, must  always  believe  a  truth  that  is  demonstrable,  whether 
all  the  abstract  or  concrete  principles  of  that  truth  be  understood 
and  comprehended  or  not.  This  latter  (comprehension)  cannot 
enter  into  a  question  of  mere  credence  or  credibility ;  unders  and- 
ing  properly  has  nothing  to  do  with  believing.  How  frequent 
it  is  for  us  to  say,  '  We  believe  it,  but  don't  understand  it.'  Can 
we  say  of  a  fact  that  we  understand  but  don't  believe  it  ?  We 
may  believe  without  understanding,  but  cannot  understand  a  fact 
or  truth  without  believing,  for  this  very  understanding  of  a  truth 
or  fact  necessitates  the  truth  or  fact.  The  highest,  grandest  tri- 
umph and  achievement  of  modern  science  is  in  the  domain  of  the 
mind.  It  is  tracing  out  the  elements  of  immortal  spirit,  and  the 
means  and  instruments  through  which  and  by  which  it  operates 
and  acts.  It  has  discovered  a  refined  electricity  to  be  the  connect- 
ing link  between  mind  and  matter;  that  it  is  the  medium  of 
mind;  that  it  is  the  medium  of  God  and  his  government;  and 
that  it  is  the  grand  primordial  element  of  the  universe. 

This  is  the  most  sublime  achievement  of  the  human  mind,  —  to 
learn  itself,  to  unravel  its  own  mysteries  and  read  its  own  future. 

It  is  the  science  of  the  living  mind,  its  silent  and  mysterious 
workings,  and  energetic  powers. 

It  is  the  science  that  evolves  the  majestic  movement  of  rolling 
worlds,  the  falling  leaf,  and  claims  the  great  law  of  the  universe 
as  its  own.  And  I  '11  add,  the  science  that  involves  the  philosophy 
of  our  immortal  life,  and  spirit  int6rcourse  with  incarnated  men. 

'  Yet  such  a  science  as  this  has  been  called  a  humbug,  and  such 
men  as  these  (Dr.  Dodds)  have  been  assailed.'  Again,  truly  and 
eloquently,  '  True  fame  is  not  the  birthright  of  the  hero.  The 
blaze  of  glory  that  has  for  ages  encircled  his  head,  and  with  its 
brilliancy  so  long  dazzled  the  world,  is  beginning  to  grow  dim. 
The  laurels  that  decorate  his  sullen  brow  have  been  gathered  at 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  113 

the  cannon's  mouth,  from  a  soil  enriched  with  human  gore,  and 
watered  by  the  tears  of  bereavement.  That  favored  pinnacle  of 
glory  on  which  he  proudly  stands  has  been  gained  by  conquest 
and  slaughter.  His  way  to  it  lay  over  thousands  of  his  fellow- 
creatures,  whose  warm  hearts  had  ceased  to  throb  ;  and  the  music 
that  followed  his  march  was  the  widow's  moan  and  the  orphan's 
wail.  True  fame  does  not  lie  here.  It  has  a  higher  origin,  a 
nobler  birth,  a  more  elevated  aim.  True  fame  consists  in  the 
lofty  aspirations  after  intellectual  and  moral  truth ! '  The  great- 
est study  of  mankind  is  man  ;  the  greatest  lesson  of  our  lives  is  to 
learn  ourselves,  which  is,  in  fact,  the  sum  total  of  all  learning  ;  a 
lesson  unlearned,  all  other  learning's  naught.  Our  duty  and  our 
destiny,  the  end,  and  aim,  and  object,  and  origin  of  our  existence, 
have  always  absorbed,  and  always  will  absorb  and  monopolize  the 
brightest  intellects  that  shed  radiance  over  the  dark  precincts  of 
time.  All  the  great  minds  that  have  graced  the  annals  of  all  the 
ages  have  devoted  their  energies  to  solve  this  mighty  problem  of 
themselves.  To  men  of  mind,  in  contradistinction  to  men  of 
matter,  it  is  the  problem,  and  only  problem. 

'  Man,  know  thyself,  there  all  wisdom  centres,'  says  Dr.  Young. 
Thales  said,  '  The  most  difficult  thing  in  nature  is  to  know  our- 
selves, the  most  easy  to  advise  others.'  Chilo  had  engraved  in 
letters  of  gold  in  the  temple  of  Apollo  at  Delphi  this  aphorism, 
'Know  thyself.'  [^Query :  docs  Beecherknow  himself?]  Phyrro, 
the  sceptic  philosopher  of  Ellis,  asserted  that  no  man  can  have 
certain  knowledge  of  anything.  One  of  his  friends  reproved  him 
in  the  following  logical  dilemma :  '  You  either  know  what  you 
say  to  be  true,  or  you  do  not  know  it.  If  you  do  know  it  to  be 
true,  that  very  knowledge  proves  your  assertion  to  be  false,  and 
you  do  wrong  to  make  it ;  if  you  do  not  know  it  to  be  true,  you 
do  wrong  to  assert  it,  since  no  one  has  a  right  to  assert  what  he 
does  not  know  to  be  true:  therefore,  in  either  case,  you  do 
wrong  to  assert  that  no  one  can  have  a  certain  knowledge  of  any- 
thing.'" 

We  quote  the  following  also  from  Rembert,  who  makes  his  own 
apology:  — 

"  Some  of  you  will  doubtless  consider  it  vulgar  Brownlowism, 
or,  worse,  diabolical  Beecherism,  which  will  perhaps  jar  on  more 
refined  ears,  as  it  was  written  under  the  intensity  of  youthful  im- 
pulse and  ardor,  unchastened  by  age ;  and  you  will  not  expect  me 


114  THE  UNSEALED  BOOK. 

to  stop  now  to  smooth  its  severity  with  more  polish,  inasmuch 
especially  as  it  speaks  the  truth,  though  the  pen  be  porcupine 
dipped  in  fiery  lava,  contains  the  jewel,  though  full  of  flint  and 
fire. 

We  have  seen  the  stricken  soul,  perhaps  wild  and  wayward, 
mayhaps  erring  and  erratic,  but  high-hearted  and  noble,  unfortu- 
nate, with  soul  and  exalted  nature,  who,  like  the  Scarvola,  would 
thrust  his  arm  into  the  burning  fire  and  see  it  and  feel  it  perish, 
rather  than  stoop  to  meanness  or  falsehood  ;  who  would  disdain 
a  low  act  as  the  bird  of  Jove  disdains  the  mire ;  soul  of  impas- 
sioned mould  and  lofty  aspirations,  that  soared  like  the  eagle  of 
the  mountain  into  the  clear  cerulean ;  with  no  fault  but  misfor- 
tune, no  weakness  but  too  much  trust,  no  guilt  but  looking 
to  heaven,  no  crime  but  devoted  love,  like  the  immortal  Milton, 
traduced,  maligned,  abused,  and  barked  at  by  human  hyenas  sa- 
cerdotal sanctity  with  eyes  that  roll  in  holy  horror  at  the  aberra- 
tions of  erratic  love  and  pure  devotion, — the  little  peccadilloes 
perchance  of  others,  —  Avho  should  have  poured  the  oil  of  healing, 
and  who  will  themselves,  according  to  their  own  theory  and  ^rac- 
tice,  roll  another  horror  to  the  billowed  thunders  of  devil's  daily 
dirge,  and  cast  a  shadow  over  the  regions  of  the  damned  like  em- 
bodied midnight.  We  have  seen  the  innocent,  the  injured,  and 
the  pure  torn  down  with  pharisaic  friendship  and  Satanic  soul  by 
falsehood's  forked  tongue  of  demoniac  traduction,  by  the  vile  and 
villanous  preacher  who,  under  the  assumed  sanctitude  of  the 
Prince  of  peace,  would  scent  out  the  victim  of  misfortune  and 
ursre  on  his  hell-hounds  of  carrion  to  their  feast  of  devil's  obse- 
quious  simpletons,  who  would  howl  when  their  master  hissed,  — 
incarnated  spirits  of  distilled  iniquity,  whose  souls,  if  they  have 
any,  will  make  black  spots  in  hell's  darkest  midnight,  —  spots 
that  the  roll  of  ages  will  not  efface,  and  the  darkness  of  the 
damned  will  be  sunshine  to  their  spirits,  deep  and  dark  enough  to 
extinguish  the  light  of  a  thousand  suns." 

From  the  same  author  we  give  the  following  extract ;  after  the 
perusal  of  which,  "guilty  or  not  guilty,"  is  not  the  question,  but 
blame  or  no  blame.  If  blame,  wlio  's  to  blame  ?  If  no  blame, 
why  this  widespread  commotion,  this  "  social  earthquake  "  ? 

"  Said  Shakespeare,  who,  not  as  a  poet,  but  as  an  acute  observer 
and  profound  philosopher  had  no  superior,  '  There  is  a  divinity 
that  shapes  our  ends,  rough-hew  them  how  we  will.' 


THE    UXSE.VLED   BOOK.  115 

Man  is  impelled  to  every  action  by  either  internal  impulse  or 
external  influence.  External  influence  is  that  which  he  can  con- 
trol, or  that  which  he  cannot  control.  If  the  latter,  of  course  he 
cannot  be  held  responsible  for  it  or  guilty  of  its  effects ;  if  the 
former,  —  that  external  influence  which  he  can  control,  —  he 
either  controls  it  or  not,  as  he  is  prompted  or  enabied  by  his  inter- 
nal impulse  or  inherent  power. 

Hence  it  is  narrowed  down  to  his  internal  impulse.  Xow  this 
impulse  impels  him  as  the  character  of  the  impulse  predominates. 
If  evil  predominates,  he  is  impelled  to  evil ;  if  good,  then  to  good 
actions.  These  impulses  ase  inherent  in  him,  and  constitute  as 
much  his  moral  nature,  as  the  form  of  his  body  or  color  of  his 
skin  constitutes  his  corporeal  individuality.  Xow  the  question 
is,  can  he  control  his  natural,  inherent  impulses  ?  I  will  answer 
this  by  asking,  can  he  control  the  natural  form  of  his  body  or 
color  of  his  skin  ?  He  certainly  can,  to  a  limited  extent,  at  first, 
modify  and  improve  the  natural  form  of  his  body  and  beautify 
the  complexion  of  his  skin;  and  no  more,  at  first,  while  subject 
to  the  animal.  To  this  extent  and  no  more,  in  low,  undeveloped 
life,  should  we  hold  each  other  accountable,  and  visit  a  commen- 
surate punishment  for  deliberate  violation  ;  this  is  the  true  ratio- 
nale of  crime,  —  this  much  and  no  more. 

This  certain  penalty  is  the  proper  apjiliance  to  j)revent  crime  in 
unprogressed  men.  Then  if  this  strict  justice  be,  as  it  should  be, 
by  all  humane  hearts,  tempered  with  mercy,  little  will  be  left  to 
punish.  Hence  moral  suasion,  proper  education,  philosophic 
scientific  development  is  the  great  lever  of  human  reform,  the 
true  principle  of  human  progress.  The  more  external  influences 
are  brought  to  bear,  of  which  consists  education,  the  more  will 
the  impulse  be  moulded  and  the  conduct  controlled.  Hence  the 
labors  of  the  jurisconsul,  the  salutary  influence  of  penal  law,  and 
judicial  and  retributive  example,  and  juridical  learning  from 
Bracton  and  Fleta  to  Storey  and  Taney,  are  not  witiiout  their 
good  results  on  the  conduct  of  men ;  nor  can  we,  indeed,  in  our 
present  low  rudimental  condition  of  moral  development,  and 
dense  population,  live  without  these  salutary  influences  and  re- 
straints. 

And  it  is  not  inconsistent,  though  it  may  so  ajipear,  to  aver 
that  in  the  concrete  if  not  in  the  abstract,  in  the  aggregate  if  not 
in  the  segregate,  —  for  God  so  governs  through  general  and  no 


116  THE   UNSEAI.ED   BOOK. 

special  laws,  otherwise,  we  should  find  no  exceptions:  ererything 
is  just  as  it  was  designed  to  be  by  the  Creator;  and  in  this  aver- 
ment there  is  philosophy  enough  to  fill  a  book.  Indeed,  it  would 
require  a  volume  to  fully  unfold  the  philosophy  and  vindicate  the 
assertion ;  for  there  is  method  in  the  conflicts  of  nature,  as  there 
is  in  the  conflicts  of  human  laws.  Nor  is  it  necessary  to  exclude 
the  'rare  and  exceptional  phenomena  of  nature  for  the  basis  of 
analogy  and  argument,'  as  James  Martineau  said  of  Bishop  Butler, 
whose  '  strained  analogy,'  said  William  Pitt  in  a  conversation  with 
Wilberforce,  '  raised  more  doubts  in  my  mind  than  it  answered.' 
In  fact,  some  installed  divines  say  that  in  everything  we  do,  we, 
thougli  unconsciously,  worship  God.  I  do  not  think  so ;  the  Crea- 
tor has  not  decreed,  nor  designed,  nor  governed  special  isolated 
cases.  He  governs  alone  through  his  organic  general  laws;  and 
to  these  general  laws,  and  not  to  special  statutes,  individual  cases 
must  be  amenable.  When  man  strikes  down  his  brother  man,  — 
is  that  worshipping  God,  their  common  Father?  Religionists, 
Christian  as  well  as,  and  even  more  than,  heathen,  have  always 
preached  this  strike-down  principle  of  persecution,  and  j)ractised 
it  to  perfection,  especially  the  former,  when  the  victim  is  to  them 
.a  nonconformist. 

And  upon  the  same  principle  the  victim  or  nonconformist 
or  heretic  should  strike  them  down  as  nonconformist  and  heretic 
to  Ms  religion.  And  thus  the  wholesale  human  slaughter  under 
religious  dictation  will  be  continued,  unless  rejected  reason  sup- 
plant fanatic  faith,  and  spiritual  love  supplant  carnal  hate.  Nor 
does  my  philosophy  involve  '  fatalism '  in  its  common  acceptation, 
though  some  of  the  greatest  intellects  of  the  world.  Napoleon 
Bonaparte  among  them,  were  decided  fatalists.  The  celebrated 
argument  of  Milton,  so  universally  accepted  and  adopted  by  old 
orthodoxy,  to  vindicate  the  Creator  against  the  evil  of  man,  by 
casting  the  blame  for  all  our  woes  upon  our  first  parents,  is,  for 
impotency  and  imbecility,  unworthy  of  its  source,  and  becoming 
only  a  third-rate  pedagogue,  or  pettifogger  of  the  pulpit,  if  there 
be  such  an  animal. 

He  says  man  was  created  with  *  all  he  could  have,'  *  sufficient 
to  have  stood  though  free  to  fall.'  I  ask,  could  not  man  have 
been  endowed  with  greater  obedience,  and  made  with  greater  self- 
control  ?  If  not,  then  God's  plenipotent  power  is  limited.  What 
impelled  Eve  to  eat  the  apple  ?    Curiosity,  or  whatever  else  you 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  117 

* 

please.  Wliat  operated  to  prevent  and  withhold  her?  The  com- 
mand of  God.  But  the  latter  was  not  siiflBcient,  therefore  the 
former,  her  curiosity,  or  the  whatever  else  you  please,  was  stronger, 
and  predominated. 

But  God  made  her  Just  that  way ;  she  had  no  hand,  or  even 
will  in  her  making,  — '  so  was  created,'  as  Milton  saith. 

Then,  in  justice,  the  blame  cannot  be  laid  to  her.  And  so 
Adam:  what  impelled  him  to  partake?  Love  of  Eve.  What 
prevented?  Command  of  God.  Which  predominated?  The 
former.  Whv  ?  Because  it  was  stronger.  Whomade  it  strons^er  ? 
His  Creator.  So  chloride  of  nitrogen  is  quiescent  until  touched 
with  the  proper  oil.  What  then  ?  Explosion,  or  violation  of 
their  obedience,  just  as  nature  made  them.  But  man  is  endowed 
with  reason,  and  '  reason  also  's  choice,'  says  Milton  (though  our 
preachers  say  we  must  n't  use  it,  and  in  justice  to  them,  I  must 
say,  they  practise  the  precept,  don't  use  it  much,  as  Artemus  Ward 
might  say).  Yet  that  does  not  change  the  question  in  principle, 
only  in  style  and  e:s:tent.  Was  reason  strong  enough  ?  No ! 
AVho  made  reason  not  strong  euough  ?     God,  the  same  Creator. 

There  is  great  good  sense  in  the  reply  of  the  man  who  fell  from 
a  house  and  caught  in  a  scaffolding.  His  friends  said  to  him, 
'You  ought  to  feel  thankful  to  God  for  having  thus  saved  you 
from  death.'  'I  do;  but  was  n't  I  cute,  too?'  It  may  be  replied 
that  this  anecdote  illustrates  free-agency,  makes  against  me,  mili- 
tates against  my  position ;  the  argument  seems  swung  around, 
in  cant  phrase.  To  which  I  will  thus  replicate:  this  ability  and 
disposition  to  catch  the  scalfold  to  save  himself,  this 'cuteness,' 
which  is  a  trite  word,  signifying  smartness,  was  either  inherent  in 
liis  creation,  that  is,  the  gift  of  God,  or  the  acquisition  of  his  own 
exertions.  If  the  former,  of  course  he  is  not  entitled  to  the  credit : 
it  is  all  due  to  the  Creator ;  if  the  latter,  whence  did  he  iret 
the  will  and  energy  to  put  forth  the  efforts,  and  the  opportunities 
to  acquire  this  'cuteness,'  this  sagacity,  and  the  ability  and  dispo- 
sition to  save  himself  ?  Now  it  might  be  rejoined,  that  it  was 
owing  to  his  own  volition  that  he  exerted  them.  To  which  I  put 
the  surrejoinder  in  this  interrogatory  :  How  came  his  volition  to 
act  in  that  way  unless  predisposed,  and  prebiassed  and  prompted 
by  some  pre-existing  inherent  cause?  And  the  argument  might 
thus  go  on  to  Avhat  the  lawyers  call  rebutter  and  surrebutter,  and 
extended  indefinite!}^,  but  ending  always,  if  ever  ending,  in  some- 


118  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

thing  inlierent,  something  antevenient,  or  intervenient,  or  super- 
venient, over  which  he  could  have  no  control  whatever." 

Therefore  we  ask,  is  Beecher  to  blame  ?  Is  any  one  to  blame  ? 
And  after  all  this  preamble,  we  come  back  to  our  first  starting- 
point,  indorsing  the  sentiment  expressed  in  our  former  work,  that 
this  is  "  no  child's-play  game,"  but  that  a  great  pur2)ose  is  to  be 
worked  out  by  and  through  this  so-called  scandal. 

Unto  a  quiet  country  church  we  went 

One  bright  and  joyous  Sabbath  morn  in  spring. 

The  young  were  there,  the  old  were  there,  and  all 

Except  the  wee  small  ones  seemed  well  to  know 

The  purpose  for,  intent  with  which,  they  came. 

Their  earnest  prayers  ascended  high,  their  songs 

Were  resonant  with  love  to  Him  whom  they 

In  their  uncultured  way  did  magnify. 

The  priest  arose  with  solemn  face  and  air. 

He  read  aloud  from  God's  sure  word  some 

Mighty  deeds  recorded  there  :  the  deeds  themselves 

No  impress  made  upon  his  unprogressive 

Mind ;  at  least  it  so  to  us  did  seem. 

Our  evidence,  the  way  he  ]*ead.     Some  thrilling 

Scenes,  replete  with  brightness  enhanced  by 

Glorious  spirit  power,  were  read  much  as 

A  child  might  read,  — the  punctuation  all 

Awiy,  the  emphasis  all  placed  upoji 

The  passages  like  unto  this  :  ''  J^or  thus  it 

Is  written ,"  and  then  a  pause,  as  if 

These  words  he  must  digest,  and  then  impress 

Indelibly  upon  the  minds  of  these 

His  simple-hearted  listeners.     Another 

Incident  he  reads,  all  radiant  with 

Love  divine.     Pay  close  attention,  else  you  '11 

Only  hear,  "for  thus  saith  the  scripture."     A 

Hymn  of  praise  must  next  be  sung.     Two  lines 

He  reads,  two  lines  they  sing ;  he  reads  two  more. 

Two  more  they  sing  ;  and  thusly  to  the  end. 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  119 

The  prayer  —     But  this  we  will  not  criticise, 
Except  to  say  'twas  earnest,  sincere,  yea. 
Very  good.  i 

The  sermon,  I  fear  we  it 
Shall  not  do  justice.     'T  was  based  the 
Bible  all  upon  ;  we  mean  not  now  its 
Teachings  wise,  its  glorious  truths,  nay,  but 
The  hook  itself  I     With  Adam  number  one 
He  did  quite  well.     No  one,  of  course,  could  him 
Expect  to  go  beyond  what  had  been  ivritten. 
That  would  be  absurd.     But  what  he  read  of 
Him  he  knew  to  be  true,  for  the  "  Bible 
Said  so."     The  last  Adam  a  "  quickening 
Spirit"  was.     Ah,  that  was  a  "  poser  "  !     And 
Yet,  for  aught  he  knew,  he  "  might  be  right  here 
In  our  midst."     But  if  the  Lord  Jesus  were 
Here,  his  glorious  brightness  would  blind  our 
Eyes  ;  not  one,  but  all  of  us  would  become 
Perfectly  blind.     And  O,  what  sinners  all 
Were  we  !     The  purest  soul  who  dwelt  this  earth 
Upon  could  ne'er  be  saved,  unless  himself 
He  thought  to  be  the  very  worst  of  all 
Arch  Satan's  crew ;  yea,  and  the  same  unto 
His  God  most  high,  confessed.     He  need  not  be 
The  worst ;  ah,  no,  not  at  all,  but  he  must  feel 
And  sc(i/  he  was  the  worst,  else  no  mercy 
Would  unto  him  be  shown,  no  matter  how 
Pure  and  holy  a  life  he  led.     Neither 
Cared  he  what  advanced  thinJvers  might  say  ;  ho 
Knew  he  was  right,  not  from  any  knowledge 
He  possessed,  but  because  it  said  so  in 
The  Bible, 

"  The  devotees  of  the  Bible  say  that  it  is  so  far  above  and  be- 
yond human  reason,  that  they  cannot  pretend  to  fathom,  expli- 
cate, or  understand  it;  that  reason  is  not  required,  and  must  have 
nothing  to  do  with  its  exegesis  in  determining  the  question  of  its 


120  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

reception  or  rejection ;  but,  with  the  deglutition  of  the  anaconda, 
it  must  be  swallowed  wholly,  soully  and  bodily  as  we  find  it,  with- 
out mastication  of  incisor  or  molar,  without  concoction  of  enceph- 
alon  or  viscera.  But  was  not  reason  the  cause,  objectively  and 
subjectively,  of  all  their  church  reformations  ?  And  do  they  in- 
tentionally or  ignorantly  set  aside  the  words  of  the  gentle  Jesus, 
their  very  God,  'Why,  even  of  yourselves,  judge  ye  not  what  is 
right?' 

And  don't  they  use  reason,  or  try  to  use  reason,  in  expounding 
it  ?  Will  they  acknowledge  no  reason  in  their  preaching?  And, 
moreover,  what  is  it  that  makes  them  come  to  the  conclusion  to 
accept  it  without  any  research  for  reason  ?  It  is  reason  that 
prompts  them  to  reject  reason.  If  they  reject  reason  in  explain- 
ing, why  accept  reason  in  rejecting?  They  stultify  themselves 
in  this  whole  subterfuge,  as  indeed  they  do  in  every  other.  But, 
quoth  the  preacher,  '  The  Bible  is  true  because  of  the  miracles  it 
records';  and  'these  miracles  are  true  because  the  Bible  records 
them.'  The  Bible  is  true  because  St.  Paul  says  so ;  and  St.  Paul 
is  true  because  the  Bible  says  so. 

A  distinguished  divine,  in  an  elaborate  effort  to  vindicate  the 
Bible,  commences  thus :  '  God  forbid  that  I  should  depreciate  the 
value  of  reason  in  any  of  its  offices.  Eeason  is  God's  gift  to  man, 
and  must  be  used  as  God  designs.  But  so  is  the  Bible  God's  gift 
to  man,  and  must  be  used  as  God  designs.  Two  gifts  from  the 
same  perfect  being  cannot  conflict  with  each  other,' etc.  But  this 
is  enough,  —  fair  specimens  of  theological  argument  and  logic,  or 
rather  sophistry ;  taking  for  granted  at  the  start  the  very  point 
in  dispute,  and  thus  beg  the  question  in  the  beginning.  They 
are  disgusting  for  their  want  of  sense  as  well  as  want  of  honesty. 
I  '11  prove  there 's  no  death,  and  from  death  itself,  and  without 
meanly  begging. 

There 's  nothing  certain  but  death,  it  is  certain  ;  and  there  can 
be  no  death  without  first  life ;  then  life  becomes  certain  as  death  ; 
but  if  life  is  certain,  there  can  be  no  death,  for  death  cannot  ensue 
without  extinction  of  life :  therefore  there  can  be  no  death.  This 
is  the  tergivisation  and  sophism  of  logic,  without  the  disgusting 
begging  of  simulating  simpletons.  They  evince  not  even  a  mod- 
icum of  the  astute  dialectic  talent  of  the  ancient  sophist,  who, 
addressing  Clinian,  asked,  '  Is  he  who  learns  wise  or  unwise  ? 
Answer,  he  is  wise.    But  was  he  not  previously  ignorant  of  what 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  121 

he  learns  ?  Answer,  yes.  The  ignorant  therefore  learn,  Clhiiau, 
and  not  the  wise,  as  you  supposed.' 

As  for  the  Bible,  claimed  by  its  votaries  having  brought  im- 
mortality to  light,  its  authenticity  is  more  difficult  to  prove,  if 
possible,  than  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  and  both  are  incapable 
of  proof  unless  we  call  in  modern  spiritual  science,  which,  with 
its  philosophy,  will  at  once  prove  and  explain  the  truths  of  both, 
as  well  as  expose  the  fallacies  and  falsities  preached  from  tlie  Bi- 
ble and  joublished  from  Spiritualism,  And  there  are  many  such 
myths  to  be  cleared  up  under  the  wield  of  progressive  reason  and 
science. 

Old  orthodoxy  never  had  a  truth  but  that  its  priests  warped 
and  wove  it  into  error  and  terror  and  horror.  They  would  turn, 
distort,  pervert,  and  convert  a  healing,  heavenly  ray  of  celestial 
light,  direct  from  the  angel  world,  into  a  burning,  blasting  shaft 
of  diabolic  darkness  direct  from  Pandimonium.  If  an  excarnated 
human  form  appear  in  the  character  of  an  angel,  luminous  in 
resplendence  of  perfection,  they  instantly  shout  God !  clothed  iu 
fire,  and  probably  bright  blazes  of  burning  brimstone.  If  one 
appear  from  the  shades  of  Sheol,  darkling  in  the  habiliments  and 
frowning  face  of  unprogressed  humanity  in  the  spiritual  form, 
forthwith  they  proclaim  Devil !  with  cornuted  and  caudated  ap- 
pendages bifurcated  horrifically,  roaring  round  seeking  whom  he 
may  devour  —  somebody. 

How  superior  is  this  to  the  blind  infidel  obstinacy  that  denies 
all  spirituality,  past,  present,  or  prospective,  or  to  the  weak  efforts 
of  Kenan,  trying  to  throw  doubt  on  the  truth  of  the  Cliristian 
record  ?  I  dispute  equally  with  the  professed  infidel,  wlio  Avould 
invalidate  all  spiritual  record,  and  with  the  professed  Christian, 
■who  would  make  all  '  religion  unnatural  and  all  nature  irre- 
ligious.' It  is  not  so  much  with  them  the  God  of  truth,  the  God 
of  nature,  the  God  of  their  destiny,  as  the  God  of  their  fathers. 
Few  can  rend  the  veil  and  view  the  truth  of  God  and  God  of 
truth.     Well  did  Jesus  say,  '  Few  there  be  that  find  him.' 

I  believe  in  the  cardinal  truths  of  the  Bible  as  founded  in  phi- 
losophy, approved  by  science,  and  sustained  by  the  laws  of  nature 
and  the  light  of  reason  and  common-sense ;  but  I  cannot  believe 
the  whole  Bible,  Avith  its  palpable  contradictions  and  absurdities, 
immanities  and  inhumanities,  as  founded  in  faith,  disproved  by 
Bcience,  and  refuted  by  well-known  laws  of  nature,  and  obnoxious 


122  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

to  reason  and  common-sense.  And  you  will  find  that  my  pliilosO' 
pliy  supports,  and  it  is  the  only  ipMlosopliy  that  does  sustain  the 
truths  of  the  Bible,  and  without  it  the  Bible  must  fall.  Under 
the  modern  march  of  mind  this  thaumaturgical  hook  cannot  stand 
on  mere  faith  ;  it  must  have  the  support  of  science  and  philoso- 
phy, or  fall  like  fabulous  myth.  The  Bible  is  a  record  of  Spiritu- 
alism, or  it  is  a  record  of  fable.  My  opinions  on  this  great  subject 
are  not  the  mushroom  growth  of  a  moment ;  they  have  matured 
from  profound  investigation,  laborious  research,  and  assiduous 
study;  honestly,  independently,  defiantly,  for  the  threat  of  eter- 
nal torment  has  not  terrified  me,  nor  am  I  intimidated  by  popular 
or  unpopular  opinion,  as  you  well  know.  Public  opinion  can 
have  nothing  to  do  with  me  in  striving  to  learn  my  duty  and  my 
destiny ;  and  if  there  is  truth  in  eternal  torment,  certainly  it  can- 
not be  intended  for  one  sincerely  seeking  truth  and  striving  faith- 
fully to  do  his  duty  and  learn  his  destiny.  "With  science  as  the 
unerring  touchstone  and  reason  the  guide,  one  the  book  of  na- 
ture's God,  and  the  other  the  God-gifted  light  to  read  it  by,  I 
seek  and  vindicate  truth,  and  shun  and  combat  error,  whether 
under  the  name  of  infidel.  Christian,  Spiritualist,  or  Pagan, 
whether  in  the  Bible  or  Koran,  or  the  Code  of  Menu."  —  Bem- 
lert. 

"We  will  now  give  an  extract  from  the  writings  of  a  highly  in- 
tellectual clergyman  whose  mind  has  been  directed  to  the  investi- 
gation of  the  spiritual  philosophy.  After  a  careful  perusal  of  the 
same  we  would  ask  our  readers  to  decide  for  themselves  which  of 
the  two  clergymen  would  by  their  teachings  facilitate  the  true 
doctrine  of  spiritual  religion  as  taught  by  the  holy  Nazarene ; 
the  one  who  took  the  Bible  itself  tor  his  guide,  enlightened  only 
by  the  teachings  of  the  first  Adam,  "  as  it  is  writteji " ;  or  the  one 
who  read  and  interpreted  its  truths  by  the  glorious  light  of  inspi- 
ration from  the  second  Adam  or  from  any  other  "  quickening 
spirit "  who  might  serve  the  same  end. 

Mr.  Putnam  thus  writes  :  — 

"  Life's  pathway  has  seemed  to  myself  and  many  others  to  be 
illumined  with  a  new  light,  either  an  ignus  fatuus,  a  false  light, 
luring  to  dismal  swamps  of  error  and  disquietude,  or  it  is  a  sun, 
conceived  from  creation's  dawn,  in  nature's  living  laws,  now  but 
beginning  to  shine  on  man  with  steady  light,  and  promising  to 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  123 

guide  his  steps  to  long-liidden  fountains  of  truth  and  gladness. 
Is  it  a  phantom  or  a  sun  ?  Is  it  a  creature  of  deluded  human 
brains,  or  is  it  the  handiwork  of  the  eternal  God  ?  Having  used 
my  own  senses,  —  those,  to  me,  best  possible  witnesses,  —  and 
having  used  them  in  this  work  for  more  than  a  year,  I  am  pre- 
pared to  receive  the  light  that  is  now  struggling  through  the 
mists  around  us,  as  the  dawn  of  a  new  day.  And  if  it  has  been  my 
lot,  as  we  are  performing  our  march  over  life's  hill-tops  and  down 
across  its  valleys,  if  it  has  been  my  lot  to  stand  on  a  spot  where 
its  earlier  beams  have  met  my  eye,  why  shall  I  not  speak  of  the 
cheering  event  to  those,  whether  before  or  behind  me,  who  are 
now  marching  in  the  shaded  valley  ? 

I  behold  a  God  so  perfect,  that  his  wisdom  and  power  were, 
from  the  beginning,  competent  to  devise  such  laws  as  should  with- 
out violation,  without  suspension,  admit  under  and  in  obedience  to 
themselves,  all  all  the  light,  and  all  the  angel  visitations,  which  his 
children  on  earth  might  ever  need.  When  man  shall  see  and  feel 
that  heaven's  inhabitants  may  come  to  earth  by  natural  processes, 
and  work  among  us,  just  according  to  their  several  abilities  and 
characters,  then  the  greatest  difficulties  of  philosophical  faith  in 
the  Bible  as  a  record  of  teachings  from  on  high,  will  melt  away, 
and  the  wisdom  of  God  himself  will  appear  to  us  more  complete. 
The  departed  Samuel  did  appear  to  the  woman  of  Endor  and  to 
Saul ;  Moses  and  Elias  did  appear  to  Jesus  and  his  companions;  and 
as  spirits  are  seen  and  conversed  with  in  our  day,  the  fair  presump- 
tion is,  that  tlie  processes  of  return  were  the  same  then  as  now. 

Angels  rolled  the  stone  from  the  mouth  of  the  sepulchre ;  they 
opened  Peter's  prison  doors;  spirits  move  heavy  bodies  now,  and 
why  not  by  the  same  laws  as  then  ?  In  olden  times  such  Avorks 
were  done  in  the  dark:  they  are  mostly  and  most  successfully 
done  in  the  dark  now,  and  thus  give  ground  for  presumption  that 
both  are  manifestations  of  the  one  law.  Unlearned  apostles  spoko 
in  languages  which  they  had  never  talked  or  studied  before: 
many  mediums  now  do  the  same.  The  sick  were  healed  by  a  look 
or  a  touch,  the  same  thing  is  frequently  done  now.  Jesus,  in  a 
certain  place,  performed  but  few  mighty  works,  because  of  the 
unbelief  which  surrounded  him :  and  at  this  day  unbelief  on  the 
part  of  those  present  is  a  formidable  bar  to  spirit  manifesta- 
tion. Jesus  walked  upon  the  water,  Margaret  Eule  floated  in 
the  air,  and  so  have  others  quite  recently ;  these  and  other  points 


124  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

of  resemblance  in  the  manifestations  indicate  a  compliance  with 
the  same  law  or  laws.    The  above  conclusion  by  no  means  requires 
one  to  ascribe  the  same  wisdom  and  holiness  to  the  spirits  who 
come  now  as  to  those  who  came  of  old ;   nor  does  it  bring  the 
moral  and  religious  character  of  Jesus  and  the  apostles  into  com- 
parison  with   that   of  modern  mediums.      Formerly  there    was 
occasion  to  'try  the  spirits/  and  most  surely  the  need  exists  at  the 
present  day.     Far  back  in  the  Jewish  history,  God  said  he  Avould 
put  a  lying  sj^irit  in  the  mouth  of  his  prophet,  and  it  is  written 
that  an  evil  spirit  from  the  Lord  troubled  Saul.     Lying  and  evil 
spirits  from  some  source,  as  well  as  truthful  and  good  ones,  find 
their  way  into  mediums  now.     The  mediums  themselves  are  not 
all  supposed  to  be  above  treachery  and  deceit.     There  was  one 
Judas  of  old  ;  perhaps  our  times  furnish  many.    There  were  both 
good  and  bad  spirits  and  prophesiers  in  Bible  times,  and  there  are 
both  good  and  bad  spirits,  and  mediums  too,  at  the  present  day. 
One  fact  of  Scripture,  showing  the  immediate  author  or  authors 
of  John's  inspiration  when  writing  the  Apocalypse,  may  throw  a 
bright  light  upon  the  subject  of  spirit  action.    Jesus  sent  his  an- 
gel to  John,  '  in  the  spirit.'     John  saw  and  heard  that  angel,  and 
learned  from  him  that  he  was  not  God,  but  one  of  John's  breth- 
ren, the  prophets.      This  seems  to  be  a  clear  statement  that  the 
spirit  of  one  who  had  been  a  prophet  on  earth  was  sent  by  Jesus 
to  John ;  and  that  when  the  angel  was  present,  John,  '  in  the 
spirit'  (trance  ?)  saw  and  heard  the  things  which  he  described 
and  recorded.     That  angel  was  a  speaker  to  John,  and  it  is  his 
words,  in  part,  which  come  to  us  as  inspiration.     Let  that  light 
shine  back  upon  the  Book  of  Daniel,  and  some  other  parts  of  the 
Scriptures,  and  see  if  the  Bible  itself  does  not  contain  internal 
proof  that  individual,  finite  spirits  furnished  many  parts  of  it  to 
the  recording  mediums,  and  thus  indicate  that  inspiration  from 
above  comes  in  obedience  to  some  universal  law.     Let  a  view  like 
this  become  general,  and  then,  if  its  effects  upon  those  who  already 
take  it  warrant  a  prophecy,  the  world  will  turn  to  the  Bible  with 
fresh  interest,  and  find  there,  more  than  ever  before,  a  storehouse 
richly  furnished  with  treasures  of  truth,  and  love,  and  wisdom 
from  the  heavens.     The  Bible  will  hereafter  findits  truest  friends, 
its  only  invincible  defenders,  among  those  loho  shall  guard  it  within 
the  loalls  of  Spiritualism,  and  read  it  there  in  the  light  of  heavenly 
inspiration." 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  125 

A  contemporary,  soliciting  the  favor  of  quoting  from  liis  works, 
received  the  following  reply :  "  It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to 
learn  that  my  early  lecture  has  found  favor  with  one  who  can  ap- 
preciate, and  is  disposed  to  speak  to  the  world  upon  the  spiritual 
philosophy  of  life.  If  it  has  been  my  privilege  to  furnish  the 
world  with  anything  instructive  and  useful  concerning  the  inter- 
course of  spirits  with  mortals,  I  desire  to  thank  God  and  his  min- 
istering spirits  for  the  opportunity  and  the  power.  The  little 
which  I  have  published  is  at  the  sevice  of  anyone  who  judges  that 
he  can  make  it  useful." 

We  give  this,  as  it  expresses  so  exactly  our  sentiments  in  re- 
gard to  quotations  and  extracts.  We  do  not  consider  it  matter  of 
importance  to  always  give  our  authority,  nor  should  we  desire  it 
from  others.  Our  knowledge  is  all  gained,  either  directly  or  in- 
directly, from  a  higher  source,  and  what  have  any  of  us  that  we 
have  not  received  ?  We  frequently  adopt  the  method  of  convey- 
ing our  ideas  in  the  expressed  language  of  another,  simply  be- 
cause it  is  more  expeditious,  and  we  can  thereby  accomplish  a 
greater  amount  of  usefulness  in  a  shorter  space  of  time.  As  for 
ourselves,  we  care  not  by  whom  or  in  what  way  our  writings  may 
be  used,  only  so,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  they  be  the  m»ans  of  good 
to  his  people.    Unto  Him,  and  not  us,  be  all  the  credit  ascribed. 

We  give  the  following  extract  from  S.  S.  Eembert,  as  illustra- 
tive of  the  fact  we  have  before  stated,  that  many  are  inspired  both 
to  Avrite  and  to  speak,  unconsciously  to  themselves.  That  it  was 
written  under  inspiration,  who  can  doubt  ? 

"  In  view  of  these  great  developments  of  modern  science  and 
its  rapid  progress,  I  wrote  the  following  in  a  work  entitled  'Dis- 
sertation on  the  Analogies  of  Nature  and  Revelation,'  published 
in  1857,  which  many  of  you  have  read,  and  from  which  I  have  al- 
ready quoted,  and  shall  as  often  quote  as  it  serves  my  subject. 
And  here  allow  me  to  say  that  those  portions  of  that  book  which 
ignore  philosophy,  I  would  now  correct  or  utterly  reject;  that  our 
entire  life,  past,  present  and  future,  from  the  first  organic  germ, 
ay,  from  the  primal  atoms  in  the  elementary  growth,  up  to  the 
highest  altitudes  of  progression  in  the  great  hereafter  in  erternity, 
is  but  one  continuous  illustration  of  philosophy;  that  all  nature 
is  philosophy;  that  there  is  philosophy  in  everything;  that  there 


126  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

is  nothing  in  all  nature  -without  its  philosophy ;  and  that  nature's 
God  is  the  grand  embodiment  and  personation  of  philosophy.  I 
would  also  disclaim  and  discard  every  idea  of  the  infallibility  of 
revelation  ;  for  there  can  be  no  infallibility  where  the  finite  is  in- 
volved, either  in  receiving  or  imparting.  If  the  talented  divine 
had  said  'faith'  instead  of  *  Christianity,' when  he  commenced 
his  sermon  with  '  Christianity  begins  where  philosophy  ends,'  he 
would  have  uttered  a  greater  truth,  for  faith  flourishes  in  the  soil 
of  superstition  and  ignorance,  and  has  no  philosophy.  But  ra- 
tional and  rationalistic  Christianity,  or  true  religion,  is  founded 
in  philosophy,  and  goes  hand  in  hand  with  science:  and  any  re- 
ligion not  thus,  is  fallacious.  Said  preacher,  I  must  opine,  has 
sadly  mistaken  in  proclaiming  such  religion,  for  such  religion  or 
such  Christianity  can  have  no  beginning,  inasmuch  as  philosophy 
has  no  ending.  A  foppish  man,  on  presenting  his  ring,  remarked 
to  a  lady,  '  It  is  emblematic  of  my  love  to  you,  it  has  no  ending ' ; 
to  which  the  lady  replied,  '  It  is  equally  emblematic  of  my  love 
for  you,  it  has  no  beginning,'  It  is,  or  ought  to  be,  an  absolute 
idea,- and  the  effete  orator  who  would  now  utter  it  has  either  out- 
travelled  science  and  gone  ahead  of  everybody  else,  has  impatiently 
jumped  over  all  philosophy,  and  plunged  into  the  abysmal  ocean 
of  '  faith '  to  slake  his  thirst,  or  else  is  far  behind  the  progress  of 
the  age,  and  ignorant  of  the  modern  march  of  mind.  He  would 
remind  me  of  the  drunkard  who  was  taken  to  a  graveyard  in  a 
state  of  unconsciousness,  and  laid  out  on  a  tombstone.  On  re- 
covering from  his  inebriation,  and  looking  round  at  his  strange 
situation,  perceiving  nothing  but  the  silent  tombs,  he  exclaimed, 
'  Well,  I  'm  either  the  first  that 's  riz,  or  I  'm  behind  time,  —  all 
got  up  and  gone  ahead  of  me.'  He  has  certainly  gone  ahead  of 
everybody  else,  or  is  wofully  behind  the  times.  But  science  has 
bridged  this  hitherto  shoreless  ocean  of  incertitude,  and  found  a 
beacon  on  the  other  bank ;  or  rather,  has  thrown  its  electric  wires 
across  the  dread  abyss,  and  communicates  with  the  splendid  deni- 
zens of  the  other  shore;  while  the  man  of  faith,  fed  on  its  effete 
pabulum  and  extinct  cabalistic  traditions,  is  left  struggling  in  the 
salty  surge,  without  a  shore  and  without  a  sounding,  midst  upper, 
nether,  and  surrounding  waters.    But  to  my  extract :  — 

'And  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  when  death  destroys  this 
mortal  temple,  this  immortal  being  will  wing  his  flight  to  the  God 
from  whom  he  sprung,  in  harmony  with  all  known  laws  of  nature, 


THE   UNSEALED  BOOK.  127 

by  whicTi  attraction  gathers  all  smaller  particles  to  the  one  great 
central  larger  of  their  like ;  and  that  all  thus  attracted,  congenial 
in  feeling,  desire,  disposition,  to  the  great  attracting  God,  will  be 
either  absorbed  by  him  and  made  partakers  of  his  glory,  or  be 
fitted  up  in  immortal  tenements,  and  provided  with  abodes  of 
bliss,  commensurate  with  their  merits,  where 

"Sceptred  angels  hold  their  residence." 

While  on  the  other  hand,  in  accordance  with  this  same  univer- 
sal law  of  nature  and  nature's  God,  attraction  and  repulsion,  the 
disembodied  spirits  of  the  wicked,  with  feeling,  desire,  disposition 
adverse,  opposite,  and  oppugn  ant  to  God,  will  be  repelled  by  him, 
and  provided  with  places  of  shade  adapted  to  their  moral  condi- 
tion. Indeed  it  is  evident,  as  we  shall  hereafter  show,  that  God 
must  make  this  distinction,  must  draw  some  line  of  demarcation 
hereafter,  or  else  forfeit  and  absolve  his  claim  on  man,  for  the  in- 
tegrity of  his  righteousness.  .  .  .  The  whole  history  of  man,  indi- 
vidually and  collectively,  teaches  progression  is  a  law  of  his  being, 
here  and  hereafter:  individually  in  the  great  change  from  infancy 
to  maturity.  An  infant,  he  is  the  most  ignorant  and  helpless  of 
beings,  not  even  endowed  with  the  instinct  of  the  brute;  a  mere 
inert  and  almost  impassive  germ,  which,  under  this  great  law  of 
his  progression,  is  destined  to  far  outstrip  all  his  animated  com- 
peers of  earth,  to  display  a  spark  of  Deity,  to  measure  worlds,  and 
span  the  intervening  voids;  ultimately,  to  leap  disembodied  the 
barriers  of  earth,  break  through  the  confines  of  time,  and  become 
the  denizen  of  an  immortal  heaven,  with  near  developments  of 
might  and  magnificence,  and  powers  of  expansion  and  progres- 
sion as  boundless  as  the  roll  of  eternal  years  ;  collectively,  in  his 
mighty  advance  in  science  and  civilization,  his  rapid  progress  in 
social  condition,  the  extent  and  solidity,  safety  and  protection,  of 
governmental  compacts,  the  diffusions  of  constitutional  reforms, 
and  all  tlie  ameliorating  influences  incidental  to,  and  resulting 
from,  the  improvement  of  science.  And  in  all  this  progress,  per- 
sonally and  socially,  man  is  himself  made  the  active  instrument 
of  his  own  reforms,  his  own  progress,  improvements,  and  emolu- 
ments. They  do  not  voluntarily  come  upon  him,  reposing  in  ease 
and  indolence. 

Franklin,  Lardner,  Kepler,  and  Laplace  were  not  born  such : 
their  knowledge,  erudition,  and  philosophy  were  not  voluntary 


128  THE   UXSEALED   BOOK. 

gifts  of  Providence,  but  were  acquired  by  incessant  effort,  assidu- 
ous study,  and  faithful  toil  and  vigilance.  "  Eternal  vigilance  is 
the  price  of  liberty,"  said  Jefferson ;  eternal  vigilance  is  the  price 
of  all  progress,  says  science.  And  though  some  men  are  born  and 
grow  up  with  stronger  minds  as  with  stronger  bodies  than  others, 
yet  universal  man,  in  every  state,  station,  and  condition,  is 
emphatically  the  carver  of  his  own  fortune,  the  architect  of  his 
own  destiny  under  the  mysterious  providences  of  nature. 

The  constitutions  of  England  and  America  are  not  the  gratui- 
ties of  fate,  but  the  legitimate  result  of  a  moral  progress,  effectu- 
ated by  tlie  labor  of  enlightened  mind.  Again,  if  the  longevity  of 
man  has  been  regularly  decreasing  since  his  inhabitation  of  the 
earth,  when  will  it  reach  the  point  of  an  hour,  or  no  existence  at 
all  ?  What  the  cause  of  his  deterioration  in  length  of  life  until 
about  the  fifteenth  century,  and  then  the  reaction  ?  The  insta- 
bility of  government,  the  Avide  extent  and  almost  universality  of 
ignorance,  of  insecurity,  idolatry,  and  superstition  ;  and  these  are 
certainly  sufficient  to  entail  the  most  fatal  results.  That  the  lon- 
gevity of  man,  until  within  a  few  generations  back,  had  been  de- 
generating regularl}',  is  in  strict  accordance  with  his  historic  biog- 
raphies ;  and  that  for  the  last  few  generations  he  has  fully  main- 
tained his  longevity,  is  also  of  historic  record.  Now,  what  is  the 
cause  of  this  reaction  ?  And  were  it  not  for  this  salutary,  saving 
reaction  exerted  upon  man,  he  would  inevitably  have  degenerated 
into  nothing.  But  since  the  effectual  and  efficient  evulgations  of 
knowledge,  in  the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century,  the  con- 
comitant diffusion  of  letters  and  learning,  the  conquests  of  peace- 
ful science  in  lieu  of  bloody  war,  the  rapid  multiplication  of 
books,  and  the  birth  of  science,  man  has  been  enabled  to  snatch 
himself  from  his  own  extermination,  and  rescue  earth  from  its 
threatened  depopulation. 

During  the  long  dark  night  of  a  thousand  years,  man's  habitual 
occupation  was  war  and  mutual  extirpation ;  and  his  prevailing 
religion  taught  him  that  the  loss  of  life  in  battle  was  a  certain 
passport  to  the  blissful  halls  of  Odin.  During  this  thousand 
years  knowledge  was  unknown,  or  locked  up  in  night,  and  dark- 
ness usurped  the  dominion  of  day.  Famine  spread  out  the  dark 
shadow  of  its  dread  wing  over  the  nations,  and  death  and  desola- 
tion were  winged  upon  the  blast.  Whole  towns  and  cities  were 
depopulated,  and  provinces  brought  to  destruction.     Is  it  strange 


THE   rWSEALED   BOOK.  129 

that  the  average  duration  of  life  should  have  been  so  abridged  at 
this  dark  epoch  ?  But  since  the  rise  of  science  in  its  purity  and 
splendor,  winged  witli  the  elements,  with  all  its  attendant  bless- 
ings of  wisdom,  peace,  science,  commerce  whitening  the  water,  as 
civilization  gilds  the  land,  new  elements  and  adjuncts,  evolved  of 
social  comfort  and  progress,  new  edibles  for  men's  sustentation 
discovered  and  transported,  stability,  consolidation  of  states  and 
governments,  with  the  sceptre  of  peace  waving  as  the  trident  of 
empire,  and  protection,  progress,  population,  the  insignia  of  his 
bannered  march,  is  it  strange  the  average  life  of  man  should  be 
again  extended  ?  Nay,  when  we  consider  the  late  loonclerful  de- 
velopments in  tlie  science  of  electricity,  the  most  siihlime  science  of 
the  human  soul,  as  it  is,  in  all  ^JfobaMIiti/,  the  elemental  essence 
of  all  ethereal,  sjnritual  creations,  from  the  godhead  down,  and  the 
all-pervading  element  of  nature,  it  is  reasonable  to  hope  that  man 
will  yet  be  enabled,  under  the  guidance  of  his  God  and  the  design 
of  Providence,  to  work  out  his  own  immortality  in  a  world  reno- 
vated and  restored  to  its  pristine  eden. 

Providence,  as  we  have  seen,  works  by  means,  and  has  made 
man  the  instrument  of  his  own  ameliorations ;  why  not  make  him 
the  instrument  of  effecting  his  own  restitution,  and  the  restitu- 
tion of  his  world  ?  Philosophy  already  points  her  finger  to  the 
suUle  agency  of  electricity  as  a  universally  diffused  fluid  and  all- 
pervading  element  of  the  universe  of  mind  and  matter.  And 
though  we  are  as  yet  but  in  the  alphabet  of  this  most  magnificent 
and  boundless  science,  we  can  even  uow  make  the  bodies  of  the 
departed  frown,  weep,  or^  smile  in  death,  excite  the  limbs  and 
muscles  into  various  action,  and  almost  revitalize  the  cold  clay. 
"We  have  seen  the  sick  and  the  suffering  healed  and  restored  and 
cased  in  an  instant  by  this  invisible  fluid.  Indeed,  the  boundless 
universe,  as  well  as  the  complex  machine  of  man,  especially  his 
nervous  system,  in  all  its  minute  and  mysterious  ramifications^ 
which  is  nothing  else  than  his  psychological  connection  with 
matter,  which  is  nothing  else  than  electrical  organization,  is  all. 
under  the  predominating  influence  and  control  of  this  mighty  and 
mysterious  element  or  essence,  in  its  vastly  various  modifications.. 
k^d  the  time  may  come  when  max,  climbing  step  by  step 
the  abstruse  altitudes  of  this  mighty  philosophy,  avill  be 
enabled  to  unlock  and  look  into  the  secret  recesses  of 
Jehovah's  great  laboratory  of  life,  and  hand  in  hand 


130  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

WITH  SCIENCE,  THE  PROGRESS  AND  PERFECTION  OF  MIND  AND 
MORALS,  CO-OPERATIVE,  CONTEMPORANEOUS,  AND  COEXTENSIVE 
WITH  HIS  DIVINE  REVELATIONS  SHALL  DEVELOP  THE  DESTINIES 
ORDAINED   BY   HIS    CREATOR   FOR  THE   WORLD,  sliall  Stay  clisecise, 

expel  sin  and  hatred,  implant  piety  and  love,  and,  hy  the  direc- 
tion of  Providence,  weave  out  again  his  lost  and  tattered  garments 
of  immortality. 

What  is  this  but  the  millennium  ?  What  is  the  millennium 
but  j)rophetic  revelation  ?  And  are  we  not  evidently  drifting  to 
its  consummation  ?  Eather,  are  we  .not  working  to  this  end  ?  If 
SO,  is  it  not  proof  of  the  prophetic  inspiration  of  revelation? 
Earth  may  yet  be  renovated  and  restored,  and  made  a  fit  heaven 
for  the  good  and  the  true ;  and  man  himself,  as  he  is  ever  made 
the  instrument  of  all  his  own  ameliorations,  may  be  made  the 
instrument  of  this  his  last  and  mighty  consummation,  through 
the  means  of  this  universal,  ethereal,  and  omnipotent  agency,  elec- 
tricity, the  philosophy  of  all  mind,  and  all  matter,  and  all  life  on 
earth  and  anywhere ;  ay,  the  great  pihilosophy  of  God !  Then 
for  the  resurrection !  When  revelation  shall  have  accomplished 
its  mission,  what  a  sound  breaks  upon  the  ravished  ear!  what  a 
scene  bursts  upon  the  enraptured  vision  of  fancy!  Father, 
mother,  loved  and  long-lost  friends  awakening  into  life,  and  com- 
ing forth  again  to  clasp  the  arm  of  love  that  never  more  shall 
break  !  Verily,  the  echoes  of  Odin's  halls  are  hushed,  the  charms 
of  Thor  have  departed,  and  the  virgins  of  the  Valhallah  have  lost 
their  fascinations.  Verily,  the  mighty  fabric  of  mythology,  that 
so  long  spread  its  desolating  shadow  over  the  nations;  that  stu- 
pendous temple  in  which  the  spirits  of  superstition  offered  incense 
and  ignorance  run  riot ;  that  vast  structure,  built  of  human  bones 
and  cemented  by  their  blood,  beside  which  Tamarlane's  pyramid 
of  seventy  thousand  human  skulls  is  as  nothing ;  this  mighty 
collossus,  which  so  long  has  stood  the  tempests  of  time  and  flour- 
ished in  its  whirlwinds,  is  crumbling  into  ruins.  The  fiery  light- 
nings and  thunderbolts  of  heaven  have  scathed  its  gray  summit, 
the  earthquake  roll  of  revolution  has  swept  its  hoary  base,  yet  it 
stood  and  triumphed  in  the  storm  ;  commotion  was  its  preserva- 
tive element ;  and  the  roll  of  revolution  its  loved  melody.  But 
this  revelation  of  true  and  eternal  God  has  tranquillized  the 
troubled  elements,  has  stilled  the  tempest,  disarmed  the  whirlwind, 
and  whispered  peace,  purity,  and  love  into  the  ears  of  the  moral 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  131 

tornado  in  which  the  fabric  flourished ;  has  shot  the  light  athwart 
its  dark  and  dismal  dungeons ;  has  encircled  its  pinnacle  in  sun- 
shine, invested  the  whole  structure  in  a  heavenly  influence,  and 
lo  !  it  crumbles  into  bitter  ashes  !  Is  not  this  a  triumph  and  a 
conquest  ?     Let  history  answer  ! ' 

These  adumbrated  vaticinations,  ay,  direct  prophecies  without 
ambiguous  symbols,  with  no  professions  of  inspiration,  were 
penned,  be  it  remembered,  before  I  knew  anything  of  the  spiritual 
philosophy,  as  some  of  you  are  aware.  True,  I  had  read  newspaper 
accounts  of  spiritualism  as  a  strange  illusion  among  some  people 
in  that  hot-bed  of  hallucination  and  frenzied  fanaticism,  in  the 
Northern  States, — and  good  has  come  out  of  Nazareth,  —  but 
knew  nothing  of  it  as  worthy  the  name  of  science,  and  only  re- 
garded it  with  contempt.  I  was  first  led  to  investigation  by  a 
course  of  lectures  which  I  heard  delivered  in  the  city  of  Galveston 
in  1858,  by  Thomas  Gales  Forster,  nephew  of  Mr.  Gales  of  the 
*  National  Intelligencer.'  It  was  as  a  mere  pastime,  to  spend  a  leis- 
ure evening,  that  I  attended  his  first  lecture,  at  which  I  found 
but  a  small  audience.  When  I  went  home  and  retired  for  the 
night,  I  could  not  rest  nor  sleep,  so  deeply  impressed  was  I,  and 
felt  disposed  to  write  an  editorial  for  the  next  morning  papei's, 
calling  the  attention  of  the  citizens  to  his  magnificent  eloquence, 
that  they,  too,  might  enjoy  it  with  myself.  I  had  to  get  up,  get 
the  candle  and  light  it  myself,  get  my  writing  tackle  (portable 
desk),  and  waited  upon  myself  all  through,  without  disturbing 
any  one,  contrary  to  my  usual  custom,  as  we  always  had  a  young 
servant  at  hand  to  wait  upon  me  in  such  cases.  After  inditing 
the  article,  I  again  laid  down,  and  rested  and  slept  composedly 
and  quietly.  I  will  read  the  article,  —  it  is  short, —  together  with 
the  prefatory  remarks  made  by  the  editor  of  the  '  Galveston  News ' : 

'Professor  Forster  delivered  his  first  lecture  last  night,  and  we 
hear  the  most  unbounded  applause  bestowed  on  him  ])y  those  who 
were  present,  as  having  far  surpassed,  in  his  power  of  eloquence, 
all  efforts  of  elocution  ever  before  witnessed  by  them.  Such  is 
the  testimony  of  all.  "We  append  the  following  testimonial  from 
one  of  the  most  intelligent  among  our  citizens,  whose  initials  will 
doubtless  designate  the  writer.  He  will  be  allowed  to  be  a  good 
judge  of  true  eloquence.' 

Editor^ s  Neios.  —  Allow  me  to  say  that  Mr.  Forster's  effort  last 
night,  for  intense  eloquence  and  majestic  sublimit}',  —  and  I  don't 


132  THE   UXSE^\XED   BOOK. 

express  more  than  half  my  feelings,  my  judgment,  my  soul,  — was 
the  most  splendid  lecture,  the  most  eloquent  oration,  the  most 
magnificent  effort  of  human  intellect  and  godlike  grandeur  that 
ever  blazed  before  my  mental  vision,  or  thrilled  the  tendrils  of  my 
heart.  Immortality  and  glory,  borne  upon  philosophy,  towered 
as  the  theme  for  the  children  of  the  earth  to  the  God  of  the 
heavens.  I  don't  know  the  man,  never  saw  him  before,  nor  does 
he  know  me.  "Would  that  he  might  speak  every  night  and  all 
night.  0,  the  sublime  strides  of  the  soaring  soul  toward  the 
eternal  God  and  his  angel  immortalities!  The  discriminating 
editor  of  the  '  News,'  with  his  large  experience,  when  he  said,  the 
other  day,  that  the  most  eloquent  lecture  he  ever  heard  fell  from 
Mr.  Forster's  lips,  said  a  great  deal,  and  yet  he  said  nothing.  The 
pages  of  human  history  filled  with  the  eloquence  of  ages,  from 
Cicero  to  Clay,  from  Massillon  to  MaflBt,  not  stopping  to  look 
away  down  ujDon  the  pigmy,  piping  preachers  of  the  times,  who 
stick  like  blue  mud  to  the  bright  wheels  of  religious  progress, — 
the  pages  of  human  eloquence,  I  say,  are  filled  and  yet  are  blank. 
Like  the  morning  sun  just  risen  from  his  eastern  couch,  dissipat- 
ing the  fogs  of  night  and  robing  the  earth  in  radiance,  Mr.  Forster 
rises  and  throws  his  thoughts  of  light,  like  a  morning  rainbow, 
from  the  animal  to  the  angel  world.  The  vestal  fires  that  burn 
upon  the  altars  of  eternity  seem  kindled  in  his  bosom,  and  he 
just  breathes  the  flame  into  the  hearts  of  bis  hearers.  If  I  had  to 
characterize  in  three  words  his  overwhelming  eloquence,  composed 
as  it  is  of  philosophy  and  reason,  argument  and  elocution,  brill- 
iancy and  beauty,  sublimity  and  majesty,  prose  and  poetry,  fancy 
and  fluency,  I  should  say,  power,  power,  power. 

You  may  say  I  am  utterly  carried  away ;  yes,  and  I  hope  to 
continue  to  be  thus  led  away  from  this  death-drifting  stream  of 
time,  in  the  lofty  soarings  of  the  soul  after  the  loved  and  lost, 
and  the  great,  the  good,  and  the  glorious. 

(Signed,) 

S.  S.  E." 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  133 


THE    SPIKITUAL   CORPSE. 

"Because  sentence  against  an  evil  work  is  not  executed  speedily,  therefore  the  heart 
of  the  eons  of  men  is  fully  set  in  them  to  do  evil." 

To  the  house  of  God,  his  earthly  court,  this 
Day  we  went.     We  call  it  court :  no  other 
Name  in  tbis  case  would  so  well  apply. 
Above  —  the  statement  of  the  case  —  above 
This  earthly  sphere  was  he  who  first  did  make 
His  plea  ;  below  the  earth  plane  (general) 
Was  lawyer  number  two.     They  both  did  through 
One  mouthpiece  speak,  the  mouthpiece  of  the 
Clergyman,  a  medium,  endued  with 
Powers  he  knew  not  that  he  possessed,  nor  could 
Control.     He  knew  not  when  the  spirit  lu'st 
Did  him  inspire  ;  he  knew  not  when  the  change 
Occurred,  when  one  stepped  out,  the  other  in, 
But  thought  his  own  most  fertile  brain  did 
Generate,  grow,  and  produce  the  knowledge 
Both  fair  and  unfair  which  his  organs,  both 
Wisely  and  unwisely  (allowing  us  to  be  the 
Judge),  poured  forth. 

It  never  hath  been  ours  to 
Witness  so  great  and  instantaneous 
A  transformation  in  the  language 
And  appearance  of  a  human  being  as 
Was  here  displayed.     The  first  part  of  the  discourse 
Could  not  have  been  more  tempered  with  mercy 
And  love,  had  the  Lord  himself  inspired  the 
Theme.     Kot  only  love  and  mercy  shone  forth 
In  golden  splendor  bright,  but  far-reaching 
Thought  soared  aloft  as  on  eagle's  wings,  far, 
Far  above  earth's  low  confines  of  narrowness, 
Feasting  the  soul  on  the  untrammelled  delights, 
The  glorious  conceptions  of  the  beautiful 
Beyond.     This  spirit  pure  not  e'en  presumed 


134  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

His  brother-man  to  judge,  much  less  the 

Wisdom  infinite,  supreme,  of  Him  whose  ways 

Are  inscrutable.     No  creed,  sect,  or  church 

Availed  in  his  domain  of  mind,  but  only 

So  the  heart  with  God  was  right.     Ah,  the  gospel 

Of  love  had  stamped  its  image  on  his  heart ; 

A  ministering  angel  truly  he,  although 

"  Entertained  (or  entertaining)  unawares." 

Alas  !  that  such  a  spirit  should,  even 

For  a  time,  be  forced  its  place  to  yield  unto 

Another,  simply  because  "  I  am  weak 

And  thou  art  strong." 

O  thou  cruel-hearted 
Tyi'ant !  bound  with  chains  of  error  which  not 
Even  the  hottest  flames  of  your  pictured 
Hell-fire  can  loose  or  absolve.     What  mean  ye 
When  ye  say  that  nations  of  every 
Eandred  and  tongue  have  gone  down,  yea,  that 
"  Multitudes  !  multitudes  !  multitudes  ! 
Have  gone  down,  down  unto  the  depths  of  the 
'  Bottomless  pit '  of  eternal  damnation  ?  " 
And  not  content  with  consigning  them  there, 
To  declare  that  the  torment,  the  burning. 
Seething  lake  of  fire  you  have  portrayed  in 
Its  horrifying  darkness  (strange  Idnd 
Of  fire)  is  but  the  "  beginning  of  sorrows  "  ; 
That  their  woes  shall  not  only  last  throughout 
Eternal  ages,  but  that  each  succeeding 
Age  shall  force  them  deeper,  deeper  down  into 
The  abyss  of  agonizing  despair  ! 
Wherefore  came  this  knowledge  to  thee  ?    Hast  been 
There,  and  "I  only  am  escaped  to  tell 
Thee"?     Again,  ye  say  these  bodies  all  have 
Been  consigned,  returned  unto,  mingled  with 
Their  native  dust.     What  then  is  burning  ?     Their 
Spirits,  surely,  no  fire  can  harm,  since  they 
In  flames  of  fire,  in  burning  bushes  did 


THE    UNSALED   BOOK.  135 

Appear,  in  fiery  chariots  ride.     Wliat  meanest 

Thou  then?     To  prove  these  things,  thou  bringest 

Words  of  Jesus,  "If  thy  right  eye  oflend 

Thee  "  or  thy  "  right  hand,"  to  pluck  out,  cut  ofi". 

And  cast  from  thee.     K  he  our  earthly  eyes. 

Our  fleshly  hands  did  mean,  who  hath  obeyed? 

No  soul  who  dwells  hath  ever  dwelt  this  earth 

Upon,  as  we  can  learn ;  and  yet  no  eye 

Or  arm  hath  been  created  that  has  not 

Repeatedly  and  undeniably 

"Ofiended."     If  the  body  is  meant,  there 

Can  be  no  angels  in  heaven  ;  if  the 

Soul  or  spirit  is  meant,  what  then  ?     "  The  soul 

That  sinneth  it  shall  die."     And  did  ye  not 

At  the  very  outset  say  that  "Adam's 

Spirit  died,  — he  became  a  spiiHtual 

Corpse?"     We  have  not  forgotten,  as  we  were 

Forcibly  "struck,"  never  having  heard  the 

Like  before,  and  supposing  the  spirit 

To  be  immortal.     Again  we  ask,  what 

Mean  ye  ?     Adam's  fleshly  body  "  mingled 

With  its  native  dust,  his  spirit  dead,  a 

Corpse."     What  can  there  be  left  to  bum?     'Tis  a 

jStystery  beyond  compare.     And  where  is 

"The  last  Adam,  a  quickening  spirit?" 

Ah  !  I  remember  noAV  you  did  mention 

Him,  as  saved  by  the  blood  of  Christ ;  but  this 

Only  deepens  the  mystery,  for  where 

Was  Adam  all  the  intervening  centuries 

Twixt  him  and  Christ  ?     If  he  was  really 

Dead,  —  spiritually,  soully,  and  bodily 

Dead,  —  he  was  incapable  of  sufiering. 

If  Adam  thus  died,  why  not  all  the  human 

Eacc  the  same  ?     Again,  if  he  did  not  thus 

Die,  but  was  cast  into  the  bottomless 

Pit,  going  down,  doAvn,  down,  eternally 

Down,  as  ye  say  must  all  who  enter  therein, 


136  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

The  Lord  himself  could  n't  bring  him  back,  miless 
Ye  make  of  him  a  liar  like  unto  yourself. 

But  enough  of  this:  what  we  term  "active  ignorance,"  and 
coming  too,  from  a  denizen  of  the  spirit  world.  Should  we  cite 
and  criticise  all  of  his  inconsistencies,  we  should  have  little  space 
for  anything  else. 

Suffice  it  to  say  that  after  tlie  departure  of  the  controlling 
spirit,  the  poor  deluded  clergyman  (for  whom  we  felt  a  vast 
amount  of  pity)  arose  and  gave  the  finale  ;  said  he  did  not  know 
whether  he  had  uttered  one  word  of  truth  which  would  fall  upon 
good  soil  or  not,  but  one  thing  he  did  know,  ho  had  performed  his 
duty  to  God  ("and  by  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them"),  and 
moreover,  that  he  could  tell  a  Christian  by  his  face,  also  making 
some  very  personal  remarks,  which  it  is  not  ours  to  give ;  but  we 
inwardly  prayed  that  he  might  become  cognizant  of  the  gift  he 
possessed,  and  be  enabled  not  only  to  discern  spirits  in  the  form 
but  (what  to  him  would  be  more  important)  disembodied  ones 
as  well. 

To  the  poor  undeveloped  spirit,  who  made  the  walls  to  re-echo 
with  his  concocted  monstrosities,  we  would  say:  "The  black 
Hades  or  hell  you  preach,  and  to  which  you  would  doubtless  con- 
sign me  for  eternal  duration,  is,  thank  God,  for  you,  only  eviter- 
nal,  not  sempiternal,  as  you  proclaim.  The  grand  economy  of 
progression  will  lift  even  you  from  this  eviternal  Gehenna,  and 
will  make  your  black  spirit  ultimutely  blossom  with  charity  and 
love.  Such  I  would  have  you,  and  the  God  I  serve  will  do  more 
than  I  can  wish,  different  from  your  God,  who  would,  if  adjudi- 
cating your  practices  by  the  standard  of  your  precepts,  damn  you 
forever  in  hell's  hottest  abysmal  ocean  of  fire,  fury,  and  Hame. 
But  no  ;  I  hope  to  see  in  future  centuries  the  fruit  of  angel  love 
growing  up  out  of  your  present  black  and  bitter  ashes.  By  the 
perfect  optimism  of  Providence,  which  is  nature,  the  doors  of 
Paradise  are  ever  open  to  you  and  to  all.  But  perhaps  yours  is 
the  best  religion  to  hold  in  check  the  evil  of  the  ignorant,  and 
please  the  feelings  of  the  vindictive :  for  the  deity  and  religion  of 
a  man  always  assimilate  to  the  plane  of  his  feelings  and  percep- 
tions. It  is  natural  for  the  cruel,  tyrannic,  puritanic,  and  vindic- 
tive natures  to  believe  in  and  worship  a  cruel,  tyrannic,  and  vin- 
dictive God ;  and  those  who  heartily  believe  in  such  a  God  cannot 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  137 

be  otherwise,  for  the  God  whom  they  thus  invest  is  but  the  mirror 
of  their  character ;  given  the  attributes  of  the  G-od  worshipped,  and 
the  character  of  his  worshippers  appears  in  a  mirror ;  or  given  the 
character  of  the  worshippers,  and  the  attributes  of  their  God  will 
assimilate  to  their  plane ;  it  is  not  only  natural,  as  I  said,  but  it  is 
as  impossible  for  such  natures  to  have  any  other  sort  of  God,  as 
it  is  for  a  carnivorous  animal  to  desire  any  other  sort  of  food  but 
flesh  ;  or  for  God  himself  to  contravene  his  own  laws  and  work  a 
miracle." 

The  question  now  arises,  is  the  spirit,  the  soul,  immortal  ? 

"  To  this  we  may  reply :  Everything  in  nature  serves  its  purpose 
before  it  perishes ;  that  the  purpose  of  everything  is  to  contribute 
its  part  toward  the  great  end  of  unfolding  and  elaborating  some- 
thing higher ;  that  everything  below  man  thus  serves  a  purpose ; 
but  that  man,  the  highest  earthly  creation,  for  whom  everything 
was  made,  and  to  whose  creation  all  things  else  conspire,  serves 
no  purpose  whatever,  if  so  be  that  he  perish ;  that  his  creation  is 
a  failure  without  purjDose  or  wisdom,  unless  he,  too,  unfold  some- 
thing higher ;  and  that  as  he  is  the  only  creation  that  has  a  con- 
scious hope  of  something  higher,  with  conscious  aspirations  for 
undying  love,  the  verisimilitude  is  that  he  himself,  with  all  his 
conscious  memories,  will  unfold  into  a  'higher  future,  and  thus 
continue  nature's  great  chain  of  progression,  else  a  huge  hiatus 
here  occurs. 

Again,  death,  throughout  the  wide  domains  of  nature,  strikes 
nothing  but  what  it  can  touch;  effects  notliing  but  what  it  can 
reach  ;  kills  nothing  but  what  is  tangible  and  material,  and,  there- 
fore, susceptible  of  being  killed.  But  soul,  spirit,  is  intangible, 
immaterial,  and  therefore  not  suscepKblc  of  being  killed.  It  can- 
not be  touched,  it  cannot  be  reached,  and  therefoi-e  cannot  be 
struck  or  aifected  by  death;  unless  it  can  be  proved  that  there  is 
another  kind  of  death  in  operation,  or  that  the  common  known 
death  can  operate  on  any  other  than  physical  matter.  But  the 
former,  that  there  is  a  different  kind  of  death,  is  not  known ;  on 
the  contrary,  all  nature  proves  but  one  death  (called  such),  of 
which  we  have  any  knowledge.  And  as  for  the  other  only  alter- 
native, that  this  known  natural  death  can  ojjcrate  upon  any  other 
than  x)hysical  matter,  but  may  also  extend  to  the  spirit,  Nature 
furnishes,  in  all  her  ample  range,  not  one  such  instance. 


138  THE  UNSEALED  BOOK. 

And  further,  if  death  is  not  confined  to  physical  matter,  but 
may  extend  its  ravages  to  the  spiritual  creation,  and  spread  its 
dread  wing  of  desolation  upon  the  universal  ether,  where  shall  the 
flight  of  its  dark  pinion  be  stayed  ?  Where  the  limit  to  fold  its 
sable  wing  ?    Where  stops  dread  Azrael  ? 

•If  human  souls,  why  not  angelic,  too, 
Extinguished  ;  and  a  solitary  God 
O'er  ghastly  ruin  frowning  from  his  throne,' 

through  the  desolate  realms  of  a  death-struck  universe ! 

We  are  therefore  led  to  conclude,  as  an  illative  corollary,  that 
man  has  an  immortal  spark  within  his  bosom,  that  natural  death 
can  no  more  affect  than  it  can  affect  the  Deity ;  that  man  is  him- 
self an  immortal  being  temporarily  incased  in  this  casket  of  clay. 

And  again,  man  is  endowed  with  religiosity,  or  spirituality 
and  veneration,  but  the  brute  is  not.  Now,  where  the  wisdom 
in  giving  religiosity  to  men  without  immortal  life,  or  in  giving 
undying  life  to  the  brute  without  religiosity  ?  And  further,  the 
love  of  the  brute  is  as  deep  and  intense  for  its  young,  while  young 
and  requiring  protection,  as  that  of  the  mother ;  but  as  its  young 
grow  up  and  mature  beyond  the  necessity  of  maternal  care,  its 
love  ceases  and  subsides  entirely;  all  memory, even, is  lost.  Why 
so  ?  Because  its  life  is  transitory,  hence  its  love  is  also  transitory  ; 
and  e  converso,  because  its  love  is  transitory,  its  life  also  is  transi- 
tory. For  where  is  the  object,  the  wisdom,  or  goodness  in  giving 
immortal  life,  where  there  is  no  immortal  love,  or  immortal  love 
where  there  is  no  immortal  life  ?  We  know  that  the  love  of  the 
brute  is  not  enduring,  but  ephemeral ;  and  we  know  the  love  of 
the  mother  is  immortal  as  her  life.  Hence  the  wisdom  and  good- 
ness of  giving  her  immortal  life,  to  enjoy  this  immortal  love  im- 
planted in  her  breast. 

'They  sin  who  tell  us  love  can  die ; 
With  life  all  other  passions  fly, 
All  others  are  but  vanity  ; 
Earthly,  those  passions  of  the  earth. 
They  perish  where  they  have  their  birth. 
But  love  is  indestructible, 
Its  holy  flame  forever  burneth. 
From  heaven  it  came,  to  heaven  returneth  ; 
It  sowetli  here  in  toil  and  care. 
But  the  harvest  time  of  love  is  over  there.' 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  139 

The  atheistic  European,  the  polytheistic  Asiatic,  and  the  spirit- 
ual American,  all —  save  jDerhaps  the  priesthood  in  the  time  of 
Leo  X.,  according  to  Erasmus  —  believe  in  and  yearn  for  a  here- 
after. And  it  is  worthy  remark  that  the  only  people  who  never 
had  an  organized  priesthood,  namely,  the  aboriginal  Americans, 
are  the  possessors  of  the  most  true,  the  most  simple,  the  most 
natural,  and  the  most  philosophical  religion. 

Eev.  Mr.  Gogerly,  in  his  translation  of  the  Damiyia  Paricla, 
written  in  Pali,  makes  Buddha  repeatedly  speak  of  a  future  life. 
Hear  Buddha :  '  The  sinner  suffers  in  this  world,  and  he  will  suf- 
fer in  the  next  world  ;  in  both  worlds  he  suffers.  The  virtuous 
man  rejoices  in  this  world,  and  he  will  rejoice  in  the  next  world ; 
in  both  worlds  he  has  joy.'  This  great  Hindoo  prophet,  '  whose 
code  of  ethics  equals  that  of  any  other  religion,'  in  the  words  of 
the  scholar  who  published  the  Ushtakas  of  the  Rig  Veda,  flour- 
ished eight  centuries  before  the  advent  of  Jesus  Christ ;  and  the 
contem2Dorancous  Gymnosophists  of  India  were  wont  to  send  mes- 
sages to  their  departed  friends  by  those  who  were  about  to  die. 
[Be  it  known  that  Buddhism  has  more  disciples  by  far  than  any 
other  religious  sect,  embracing  more  than  one  third  of  the  whole 
human  race.]  Confucius,  who  lived  five  centuries  before  Christ, 
is  said  to  have  proclaimed  the  golden  rule  of  doing  unto  others 
as  we  would  have  others  do  unto  us;  and  so  did  Hillel  the 
Jew. 

Let  us  turn  also  from  these  dim  legends  and  traditions,  and 
look  to  those  illustrious  characters  that  loom  up  along  the  past 
like  lights  from  eternity.  Come  forth,  soul  of  Socrates,  and 
awaken  once  more  your  mighty  memories,  that  give  a  glory  to 
philosophy  !  '  The  cause  of  this  is  that  which  you  have  often 
and  in  many  places  heard  me  mention,  because  I  am  moved  by  a 
certain  divine  and  spiritual  influence,  which  also  Miletus,  through 
mockery,  has  set  out  in  the  indictment.  This  began  with  me 
from  childhood,  being  a  kind  of  voice  which,  when  present,  always 
diverts  me  from  what  I  am  about  to  do,  but  never  urges  me  on. 
But  this  duty,  as  I  said,  has  been  enjoined  me  by  the  Deity,  by 
oracles,  by  dreams,  and  by  every  other  mode  by  Avhich  any  other 
divine  decree  has  ever  enjoined  anything  for  man  to  do.'  Toward 
the  close  of  his  last  address  before  his  judges,  Socrates  said,  speak- 
ing of  his  death  and  the  future  life :  *  If  this  be  true,  0  my  judges, 
what  greater  good  can  there  be  than  this  ?    At  what  rate  would 


140  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

not  either  of  yon  purchase  a  conference  with  Orphens  and  Mu- 
SEeus,  with  Hesiod  and  Homer,  or  with  Ulysses  or  Sisyphus,  or 
ten  thousand  others,  both  male  and  female,  that  might  be  men- 
tioned ?  Eor  to  converse  and  associate  with  them  would  be  an 
inestimable  felicity.  Truly,  I  should  be  willing  to  die  often  if 
these  things  are  true.'  His  friend  Crito  inquired  of  him  how  he 
would  be  buried.  'Just  as  you  please,'  said  he  ;  'i.  e.  if  you  can 
find  me':  at  the  same  time  smiling  and  saying,  'Crito  thinks 
that  /  am  he  whom  he  will  shortly  see  dead,  whereas  /,  Socrates, 
shall  have  then  departed  to  the  joys  of  the  blessed.'  '  Unless  I 
thought,'  said  he,  'that  I  should  depart  to  other  gods  who  are 
wise  and  good,  and  to  the  society  of  men  who  have  gone  from 
this  life,  and  are  better  now  than  when  among  us,  I  might  well  be 
troubled  at  death.  But  now  I  believe  assuredly  that  I  shall  go 
to  the  gods  who  are  perfectly  good,  and  I  hope  to  dwell  with  wise 
and  good  men,  so  that  I  cannot  be  afflicted  at  the  thought  of  dy- 
ing; believing  that  death  is  not  the  end  of  us,  and  that  it  will  be 
much  better  for  the  good  than  for  the  evil.'  He  claimed  an  ever- 
present  demon,  so  called  by  the  Greeks,  or  tutelary  genius,  as 
termed  by  the  Latins,  or  presiding  or  tninistering  angel  with  us, 
who  always  faithfully  warned  or  wooed  him  every  day,  and  as  this 
was  omitted  on  the  day  of  his  death,  he  hence  considered  his 
death  no  evil.  His  last  words,  when  sinking  under  the  fatal  hem- 
lock, were  a  charge  to  pay  a  debt  he  had  overlooked,  and  not 
*  neglect  it.' 

Speak,  spirit  of  Plato,  who  rent  the  curtain  that  binds  the  fu- 
ture of  other  men's  visions,  and  read  through  the  vista  of  unborn 
years  !  '  The  soul  is  self-jnotive.  That  which  is  self -motive,  in- 
herently and  perpetually  moves.  But  that  which  always  moves 
with  an  inward  motion,  always  lives.  Hence  the  soul  is  immor- 
tal. Again,  nothing  foreign  to  itself  can  ever  destroy  it ;  and  its 
own  evils,  such  as  injustice  and  wickedness,  cannot  destroy  it, 
since  they  render  it,  if  possible,  more  alive  and  sensible  to  suffer- 
ing than  before.'  And  again,  says  Plato  in  the  Phffidrus :  '  We 
are  then  initiated  into  and  made  spectators  of  entire,  simple, 
quietly  stable  and  blessed  visions,  resident  in  a  pure  light,  being 
ourselves  pure,  and  liberated  from  this  surrounding  vestment 
which  we  call  body,  and  to  which  we  are  now  bound  like  an  oyster 
to  its  shell.  Among  the  eternal  emanations  of  which  I  have 
spoken  were  not  only  gods  of  different  orders,  —  the  intelligible 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  141 

and  intellectual,  the  snpercelestial  and  mundane,  —  but  also  de- 
mons, heroes,  and  the  souls  of  men.  The  demons  were  an  order 
of  beings  superior  to  ourselves,  some  good  and  some  bad,  occupy- 
ing a  sort  of  middle  between  gods  and  men.'  "While  Pluto  thus 
perceived  a  germ  or  principle  in  man  which  was  to  unfold  into 
future  perfections,  he  also  had  a  just  conception  of  the  average  of 
mankind  on  the  inceptive  earth-plane,  as  is  evidenced  by  his  re- 
mark that  '  man  is  a  biped  without  feathers.' 

Lend  us  another  echo  of  your  eloquence,  0  Cicero,  and  proclaim 
to  mortal  man  the  immortality  of  his  human  soul  divine.  '  I  look 
forward  with  pleasure  to  the  glorious  day  when  I  shall  go  into 
the  great  assembly  of  spirits,  and  shall  be  gathered  to  the  best  of 
mankind  who  have  gone  before  me.  I  feel  impelled  by  the  desire 
of  joining  the  society  of  my  two  departed  friends,  your  ilkistrious 
fathers,  whom  I  reverenced  and  loved.  0,  illustrious  day,  when 
I  shall  go  hence  to  that  divine  council  and  assembly  of  souls, 
when  I  shall  escape  from  this  crowd  and  rabble ;  for  I  shall  go, 
not  only  to  those  illustrious  men  of  whom  I  have  before  spoken, 
but  also  to  my  Cato,  than  whom  one  more  excellent  in  goodness 
was  never  born.' 

^scliikis,  in  his  Persas,  represents  the  soul  of  Darius,  deceased, 
as  still  possessing  the  thoughts  and  feelings  of  his  former  life. 
The  dying  Plotinus  exclaimed,  '  I  am  struggling  to  liberate  the 
divinity  within  me  ! '  Proculus,  a  senator,  took  an  oath  to  the 
Eoman  Senate,  that  the  spirit  of  Eomulus,  founder  of  the  Roman 
Empire,  appeared  to  him  and  communicated.  This  oath  was  con- 
sidered by  the  Romans  a  binding  and  solemn  pledge  of  truth,  and 
was  called  '  religion.'' 

Let  us  listen  to  the  great  Persian  Shah,  contemporaneous  with 
some  of  the  early  writers  of  Bible  history,  who  cared  not  for  im- 
mortal life  and  love :  Cyrus,  whose  domestic  and  parental  affec- 
tions were  as  great  as  his  genius  and  energy  are  famous  as  the 
conqueror  of  the  rich  CrcESus  of  Lydia,  and  for  taking  the  great- 
est city  of  antiquity,  with  solid  walls  of  massive  masonry  a 
hundred  feet  high  and  nearly  as  thick,  and  about  a  hundred 
miles  in  circumference,  by  turning  the  river  Euphrates,  which 
flowed  through  walls  and  city,  thus  effecting  an  easy  and  unsus- 
pected entrance ;  the  king  of  the  countrymen  of  Zoroaster,  from 
whom  oriflfinated  the  idea  of  a  vicarious  atonement,  and  who  first 
taught  the  existence  of  an  evil  spirit,  Ahriman,  from  which  the 


142  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

Jews,  and  thence  we,  have  derived  our  present  imaginary  Devil ; 
which,  however,  according  to  Zoroaster,  was  to  ultimately  succomb 
to  the  good  sjjirit  Ormudy.  But  hear  Cyrus,  nearly  six  centuries 
before  the  advent  of  Christ:  — 

'  Think  not,  my  dearest  children,  that  when  I  depart  from  you  I 
shall  be  no  more;  remember  that  my  soul,  even  while  I  lived 
among  you,  was  invisible :  yet  by  my  action  you  were  sensible  it 
existed  in  this  body;  believe  it  tlierefore  existing  still,  though  it 
still  be  unseen.  How  quickly  would  the  honors  of  illustrious  men 
perish  after  death,  if  their  souls  performed  nothing  to  preserve 
their  fame  !  for  my  part,  I  could  never  think  that  the  soul,  which, 
while  in  a  mortal  body  lives,  when  departed  from  it,  dies ;  or  that 
its  consciousness  is  lost  when  it  is  discharged  out  of  an  unconscious 
habitation ;  on  the  contrary,  it  most  truly  exists  when  it  is  freed 
from  all  corporeal  alliance.' 

'When  'reft  of  all  yon  widowed  sire  appears 
A  lonely  hermit  in  the  vale  of  years  : 
Say  can  the  world  one  joyous  thought  bestow 
To  friendship  weeping  at  the  couch  of  woe  ? 
No  !  but  a  brighter  soothes  the  last  adieu,  — 
Souls  of  impassioned  mould,  she  speaks  to  you  I 
Weep  not,  she  says,  at  nature's  transient  pain, 
Congenial  spirits  part  to  meet  again.' 

'  If  in  that  frame  no  deathless  spirit  dwell, 
If  that  faint  murmur  be  the  last  farewell, 
If  fate  unite  the  faithful  but  to  part, 
Why  is  their  memory  sacred  to  the  heart? ' 

'To  have  been  and  not  to  be  is  less  than  unborn.' 

Then  man  must  be  immortal,  or  God  cannot  be  good,  inasmuch 
as  goodness  would  never  create  and  implant  hapj^y  affections,  cher- 
ished feelings  of  friendship,  angelic  love,  and  irrepressible  desire 
to  live  on  with  loved  friends  to  demonstrate  goodness,  and  then 
tear  all  these  cherished  ligaments  asunder  and  lacerate  the  very 
heart  of  love  with  the  relentless  destiny  of  certain  separation. 
But  the  very  implantation  of  these  holy,  happy,  and  hallowed 
affections  proves  goodness,  unless  we  can  imagine  cruelty  to  be  a 
predominating  attribute  to  his  character.    Therefore,  man  is  im- 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  143 

mortal,  and  by  proper  effort  at  a  proper  development  may  attain 
the  abodes  of  bliss  and  love  as  the  heritage  of  his  hopes. 

'It  must  be  so  ;  Plato,  thou  reasonest  well  I 
Else  whence  this  pleasing  hope,  this  fond  desire, 
This  longing  after  immortality  ? 
Or  whence  this  sacred  dread  and  inward  horror 
Of  falling  into  naught  ?    Why  shi'inks  the  soul 
Back  on  herself  and  startles  at  destruction  ? 

'T  is  the  Divinity  that  stirs  within  us  ; 

*T  is  Heaven  itself  that  points  an  hereafter 

And  intimates  an  eternity  to  man. 

The  stars  shall  fade  away,  the  sun  himself 

Grow  dim  with  age,  and  nature  sink  in  years  ; 

But  thou  shalt  flourish  in  immortal  youth, 

Unhurt  amidst  the  war  of  elements. 

The  wreck  of  matter  and  the  crush  of  world.* 

Then  we  conclude  man  is  immortal,  or  a  good  Creator  would 
never  have  endowed  him  with  these  glorious  aspirations  to  be 
ruthlessly  crushed  with  the  relentless  destiny  of  certain  death. 

More  especially,  again,  when  we  know  that  he  has  implanted 
within  us  no  natural  appetite  or  desire  of  our  bodies,  but  for 
which  he  has  also  placed  within  our  reach  the  means  of  its  grati- 
fication. But  we  ardently  desire  an  undying  union  of  love  and 
friendship ;  therefore  we  infer  he  will  also  give  ns  this  best  and 
brightest  boon. 

Goethe  says,  '  I  could  in  no  wise  dispense  with  the  happiness  of 
believing  in  our  future  existence,  and  could  say  with  Lorenzo  Do 
Medici,  that  those  are  dead  for  this  life  even  who  have  no  hope  of 
hereafter.' 

We  might  quote  from  Swedenhorg,  the  illuminated  seer  of  Ger- 
many, and  the  philosophic  and  scientific  Christian  of  the  eigh- 
teenth century,  who  lived  and  moved  in  mind  among  the  angels, 
and  who  predicted  correctly  the  day  and  hour  of  his  death ;  from 
Blackstone,  the  great  legal  philosopher  of  England,  and  his  anno- 
tator,  Chitty ;  from  the  epic  Iliad  of  Homer,  and  the  antcnor 
Valmika,  the  Homer  of  Hindostan ;  the  rural  Bucolics  of  Virgil ; 
the  plaintive  pleas  of  Ossian,  who  sang,  '  spirits  ride  on  beams  of 
fire';  the  stately  tones  of  Shelley;  the  original  Chaucer;  tho 
dramatic  life-pictures  of  Shakespeare ;  all  the  inspired  spirits  of 


144  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

song  along  tlie  stream  of  time  hymn  the  hopes  of  the  human  heart 
to  be  beyond  the  dim  horizon  that  bounds  our  visual  organs. 
And  the  Wesleys,  founders  of  modern  Methodism  (in  contradis- 
tinction to  the  Methodism,  Popish,  of  France,  several  centuries 
previous),  with  their  whole  families,  witnessed  in  their  houses  for 
a  long  time  strange  and  marvellous  manifestations  of  spirit  power, 
but,  like  all  others,  while  fully  believing,  did  not  understand  them 
or  their  mighty  significance.  And  Adam  Clark,  their  biographer, 
familiar  with  many  languages,  and  author  of  popular  and  volumi- 
nous commentaries  on  the  Bible,  acknowledged  their  superhuman 
and  ultramundane  origin.  Wordsworth  believed  that  prophets 
lived  in  all  ages ;  Coleridge  claimed  supernal  inspiration ;  and 
Raphael  professed  to  derive  the  ideal  of  his  splendid  paragon  of 
beauty  from  his  immortalized  mother. 

We  might  go  on  and  quote  from  Sir  Matthew  Hale,  one  of  the 
founders  of  English  jurisprudence,  and  St.  Augustine,  one  of  the 
fathers  of  the  Church,  and  a  great  many  others  of  the  most  noted 
characters  that  illume  the  pages  of  the  past,  from  the  earliest  to 
the  latest  ages. 

But  for  our  limited  time  these  must  suffice  to  establish  the  fact 
that,  from  the  earliest  ages  to  the  present  propitious  period,  man- 
kind have  cherished  a.  vague  belief  in  their  immortality  and  minis- 
tering angels  in  the  form  of  their  friends  who  formerly  lived  among 
them  in  the  flesh. 

The  Mehestani,  and  Eastern  Magi,  who  were  disciples  of  Zoro- 
aster, believed  in  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  in  rewards  and  pun- 
ishments after  death,  and  in  the  resurrection  of  the  body.  Xow 
this  philosopher  of  Urmia  and  his  disciples  flourished  570  years 
before  Christ ;  and  only  the  later  prophets  of  sacred  history,  Mi- 
cah,  Haggai,  Ezekiel,  et  alii,  who  lived  contemporaneous  or  later, 
that  speak  in  any  2^romi)ie7it  terms  of  immortality;  the  earlier 
prophets  generally  ignoring  it  altogether.  Are  v\^e  not  bound, 
therefore,  to  give  this  credit  to  Zoroaster,  while  musing  in  spirit- 
ual meditation,  as  recorded,  twenty  years  in  the  wild  solitudes  of 
Elbrooz,  like  St.  John  in  the  wilderness  nearly  six  centuries  later  ? 
And  to  Buddha,  and  Brahma,  of  Hindostan,  two  or  three  centuries 
yet  earlier  ?  And  to  the  *  Code  of  Menu,'  embodying  law,  relig- 
ion, and  philosophy,  earlier  than  all,  about  a  thousand  years  before 
the  Christian  era  ?  The  few  sacred  prophets  who  flourished  an- 
terior to  these  philosophers,  always  held  present  or  temporal 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  145 

reward  as  tlie  motive  for  good,  or  what  they  esteemed  good.,  but 
which  we  now  know  to  be  in  a  great  many,  if  not  majority  of 
instances  bad.     The  ancient  Hindoo  philosophers,  the  Parsees, 
and  the  Oriental  Magi,  were  the  first  who  held  future  rewards  and 
punishments,  that  I  can  find  in  all  history ;  and  the  Jews  from 
their  intercourse  with  Egypt,  and  it  with  Persia,  derived  their 
ideas  on  this  subject.     A  Christian  writer,  Schlegel,  in  his  '  His- 
tory of  Literature,' says:  ' Perhaps  among  no  other  ancient  peo- 
ple did  the  doctrine  of  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  and  the  belief 
in  a  future  state  of  existence,  ever  acquire  such  a  mastery  over  all 
principles  and  all  feelings,  and  exert  such  influence  over  all  the 
judgments  and  all  the  actions  of  men  as  among  the  Indians '  (of 
Hindostan).    And  the  idea  of  an  incarnated  deity  was  originated 
and  entertained  five  centuries  before  the  advent  of  Christ  by  all 
the  Scandinavian  nations,  as  the  Hindoo  god  Vishnu  took  upon 
himself  the  form  of  man  and  periodically  appeared  upon  earth ; 
and  the  destruction  of  the  world  by  general  conflagration,  as  well 
as  its  creation  from  chaos,  was  recorded  or  proclaimed  about  the 
same  time  in  the  Valuspa,  a  book  of  prophecy  by  Vala;  that  evil 
spirits  entered  and  disturbed  the  peace  of  the  world ;  that  good 
and  evil  are  in  constant  conflict;  that  Thor  bruises  the  serpent's 
head,  etc.    Is  it  at  all  strange,  then,  that  these  ideas,  as  well  as 
other  parallels,  should  have  been  derived  from  that  ancient  relig- 
ious people,  when  we  know  that  the  very  names  of  the  days  of  the 
week,  as  adopted  by  all  subsequent  people,  and  still  universally 
retained,  were  derived  from  their  theology,  which  we  now  call 
mytholog}',  just  as  our  prevailing  theology  will  by  future  genera- 
tions be  called  mythology?     Sunday  is  so  called  because  they 
worshipped  the  sun  on  that  day;  Monday,  they  worshipped  the 
moon  ;  Wednesday,  after  their  god  Wodin,  god  of  battles,- Wod ins- 
day  ;  Thursday,  after  Thor,  god  of  thunder,  Thorsday ;   Friday, 
after  Frea,  god  of  Avinds  ;  Tuesday,  after  Tisa,  god  of  litigation, 
and  wife  of  Thor,  still  pronounced  in  portions  of  Scotland  Ties- 
day  ;  Saturday,  after  Steter,  whom  they  worshipped  respectively 
on  those  days. 

Those  Hindoo  Indians  were  also  the  inventors  or  discoverers  of 
decimal  ciphers,  the  greatest  achievement,  next  to  the  alphabet, 
of  the  human  intellect.  Just  think  a  moment  of  this,  by  the  use- 
of  only  ten  marks,  or  figures,  or  characters,  by  their  various  posi- 
tions and  infinite  combinations,  any  number  can  be  represented 


146  THE  UNSEALED  BOOK. 

and  expressed,  from  fractional  portions  of  one  up  to  millions, 
billions,  quintillions,  decillious,  vigintillions,  etc.,  without  limit. 

According  to  a  work  entitled  '  India  and  the  Indians,'  the  Jews 
had  full  knowledge  of  the  Hindoo  theology,  but  the  latter  had 
none  of  the  former.  Now  if  the  Jews  deserve  the  credit  of  divine 
inspiration  for  their  theology,  when  it  is  acknowledged  they 
might  have  borrowed  it  from  the  Hindoos,  a  fortiori  should  we 
accord  a  greater  credit  for  divine  inspiration  to  the  Hindoos, 
when  it  is  acknowledged  they  could  not  possibly  have  derived 
it  from  the  Jews,  having  no  acquaintance  with  them,  and  both 
systems  of  theology  the  same.  But  I  cannot  believe  they  had  no 
knowledge  of  the  Jews,  because,  if  the  Bible  history  be  true,  they 
undoubtedly  branched  ofE  into  Southern  Asia,  from  the  primal 
centre  around  the  Euphrates.  Now,  it  might  be  objected,  that 
these  ancient  records  of  religion  so  far  antedate  the  Christian  era, 
that  they  could  not  have  existed,  as  the  art  of  writing  must  then 
have  been  unknown.  But  this  may  be  retorted  on  the  orthodox 
objector,  as  he  claims  a  greater  antiquity  for  his  orthodox  theology ; 
if  his  argument  invalidate  my  history,  it  equally  invalidates  his." 

If  the  immortality  of  the  soul  be  tnie,  the  next  questions  which 
arise  are  these :  where  are  Adam  and  his  posterity  ?  where  are  our 
own  dear  ones  who  have  gove  before  ? 

"  If  we  leave  our  orb  and  its  immediate  environs,  in  order  to 
Imagine  any  location  beyond  the  range  of  astronomical  bodies,  as 
abodes  for  our  spirit  friends,  it  would  place  the  locality  at  a  dis- 
tance, according  to  Ilerschel,  requiring  nineteen  hundred  thousand 
years  for  souls  to  travel,  moving  with  the  Telocity  of  light,  two 
hundred  thousand  miles  in  a  second.  Our  first  parents,  Adam 
and  Eve,  have  by  this  time  only  got  one-three-hundred-and-six 
teenth  part  of  the  way  to  heaven,  though  they  started  early  in 
the  morning  of  creation  (by  the  Mosaic  record),  and  have  been 
travelling  with  the  speed  of  light  ever  since.  If  we  infer  such  a 
general  and  distant  place  of  reception  for  sj)irits,  then  in  that  celes- 
tial emporium  every  soul  from  all  the  myriad  of  worlds  must  congre- 
gate. *  Far  more  rational  would  it  seem,'  says  Prof.  Hare, '  that  our 
heaven  should  be  associated  with  our  own  native  planet,  in  the 
welfare  of  which  the  past  history  and  future  prospects  of  the  souls 
who  were  born  upon  it  must  take  pre-eminent  interest.'  What  a 
delightful,  what  a  happy  thought  is  this,  that  immediately  after  our 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  147 

dissolution,  whicli  really  is  the  date  of  our  true  nativity,  our  grand 
natal  day  into  life,  unencumbered,  like  our  first  birth  from  a  more 
encumbered  and  confined  life,  to  one  more  enlarged  and  unencum- 
bered, that,  instead  of  being  transported  to  remote  and  unknown 
places  of  incalculable  distances,  we  can  be  near  by,  and  look  back  at 
friends  depositing  our  old  casket,  now  tenantless,  in  the  tomb ;  the 
casket  of  clay  which  we  so  lately  inhabited,  and  through  which,  as 
a  necessary  material  medium,  we  moved  among  material  things, 
in  a  sphere  of  physical  materials ;  that  from  thenceforward  and 
forever  after,  without  end,  we  may  continue  to  linger  around  the 
loved  localities  of  our  infantile  associations,  the  old  homestead, 
our  native  hill,  the  rock  spring,  the  purling  brook,  the  tall  pines 
moaning  in  the  wind,  the  tough  tupelo,  from  which  we  made  our 
boyish  tooth-brush,  the  stately  poplars,  the  umbrageous  elm,  the 
stalwart  oak,  or  early,  sweet,  and  shady  maple,  where  we  passed 
the  happy  boyhood  time  of  our  earliest  years ;  that  we  can  always 
be  personally  present  with  our  loved  children  and  friends,  partici- 
pating in  their  pleasures,  and  rejoicing  in  their  progress,  or 
sympathizing  in  their  sorrows,  and  mourning,  though  only  for  a 
brief  season,  over  their  moral  miseries,  which  must  accompany 
their  moral  retrogression,  which  also  must  of  necessity  be  only 
temporary,  for  God's  works  all  grow  upward,  with  occasional  tem- 
porary retrograde  movements,  which  in  Ilis  boundless  destiny  of 
eternity  only  amount  to  momentary  retardations.  I  avow  it,  that 
this  faith,  or  rather  philosophy,  that  my  cherished  and  revered 
friends  gone  before  can  be,  and  are  present  to  witness  with  grief, 
or  even  the  slightest  shade  of  sorrow,  my  every  action  of  sin  or 
of  Avrong,  has  the  greatest  power  to  restrain  me  in  every  impulse 
of  passion  or  temptation  to  sin,  of  all  the  influences  aud  agencies 
of  which  I  am  cognizant,  or  which  have  ever  been  brought  to 
bear  upon  my  moral  actions.  It  is  to  me  a  shield  of  celestial 
temper.  The  wish  that  we  have  often  heard  of  being  able  to  visit 
the  earth  again,  in  one  hundred  or  five  hundred  years,  is  to  be 
gratified  every  hour,  every  year,  every  century,  and  forever.  That 
from  a  contiguous  standpoint  in  eternity,  we  can  witness  the  pro- 
gress and  improvement  of  our  children,  and  grandchildren,  and 
posterity,  through  all  future  generations,  on  the  initial  inceptive 
plane  of  earth  below  us,  as  erstwhile  we  witnessed  their  bodily 
growth  for  a  few  years  in  the  clay,  —  this  is  a  glorious  thought, 
and  modern  science  with  trumpet  tongue  proclaims  its  truth. 


148  THE    UNSEALED   BOOK. 

As  an  illustration  of  scientific  precision  and  astronomic  accuracy, 
the  discovery  of  the  planet  Neptune  (named  originally  Le  Verriei', 
from  its  discoverer,  in  1846)  is  one  of  the  greatest  triumphs  which 
the  history  of  science  records.  As  certain  perturbations  of  the 
movements  of  Saturn  led  astronomers  to  suspect  the  existence  of  a 
remoter  planet,  which  suspicions  were  fully  confirmed  in  the  discov- 
ery of  Uranus,  so  also  after  the  discovery  of  Uranus,  certain  irreg- 
ularities were  perceived  in  his  motions,  that  led  distinguished  as- 
tronomers of  the  day  to  the  belief  that  even  beyond  the  planet  Ura- 
nus still  another  undiscovered  planet  existed,  to  reward  the  labors 
of  the  discoverer.  Accordingly,  Le  Verrier,  a  young  French  astron- 
omer, urged  by  his  friend  Arago,  determined  to  devote  himself  to 
the  attempt  at  discovery.  With  indefatigable  industry  he  prepared 
new  tables  of  planetary  »iotion,  from  which  he  determined  the  per- 
turbations of  the  planets  Jupiter,  Saturn,  and  Uranus ;  and  as  early 
as  June,  1846,  in  a  paper  presented  to  the  Academy  of  Sciences  in 
Paris,  he  pointed  out  where  the  suspected  planet  would  be  on  the  1st 
of  January,  1847.  He  subsequently  determined  the  mass  and  the 
elements  of  the  orbits  of  the  planet,  and  that,  too,  before  it  had 
been  seen  by  a  human  eye.  On  the  18th  of  September  of  1846, 
he  wrote  to  his  friend,  M.  Galler,  of  Berlin,  requesting  him  to 
direct  his  telescope  to  a  certain  point  in  the  heavens,  where  he 
suspected  the  stranger  to  be.  His  friend  complied  with  his  re- 
quest, and  on  the  first  evening  of  examination  discovered  a  strange 
star  of  the  eighth  magnitude,  which  had  not  been  laid  down  in 
any  of  the  maps  of  that  portion  of  the  heavens.  The  following 
evening  it  was  found  to  have  moved  in  a  direction  and  with  a 
velocity  very  nearly  like  that  which  Le  Verrier  had  pointed  out. 
The  planet  was  found  within  less  than  one  degree  of  the  place 
where  Le  Verrier  had  located  it.  It  was  subsequently  ascertained 
that  a  young  English  mathematician,  Mr.  Adams,  of  Cambridge, 
had  been  engaged  in  the  same  computations,  and  had  arrived  at 
nearly  the  same  results  with  Le  Verrier. 

What  shall  we  say  of  science,  then,  that  enables  its  devoted  fol- 
lowers to  reach  out  into  space,  and  feel  successfully  in  the  dark 
and  distant  ocean  of  immensity  for  an  object  more  than  twenty- 
eight  millions  of  miles  distant  ? 

We  live  in  a  wonder-working  universe,  which  becomes  more 
and  more  wonderful  as  we  learn  more  of  it,  instead  of  being 
brought  more  within  our  comprehension.     When  we  compara 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  149 

what  "we  know  with  the  knowledge  of  the  savages,  it  may  appear 
a  mountain  of  learning  and  science ;  but  this  very  learning  and 
science  only  makes  us  see  still  more  how  great  is  our  igno- 
rance ! " 

"We  are  beyond  incertitude  or  doubt  immortal;  our  immortal- 
ity is  demonstrated  by  ocular,  tangible,  positive  proof ;  this  im- 
mortality consists  of  our  very  hrecceity,  our  real  personal  self,  our 
loves,  friendships,  memories,  knowledge,  intelligence.  And  science 
proves  that  we  must  take  these  with  us  or  we  take  nothing,  for 
nothing  of  ourself  remains  more  than  seven  years,  except  these 
moral  memories,  these  spiritual  principles.  We  retain  them  here 
through  all  our  years:  shall  we  lose  them  there?  They  consti- 
tute our  personality,  our  hfficceity  here :  if  we  do  not  take  them, 
what  will  constitute  us  there  ?  That  we  shall  recognize  each 
other  by  physical  features  and  fprm  unchanged,  but  refined  and 
improved  by  the  shaking  off  of  the  old  clay  covering,  and  shall 
unerringly  know  each  other  by  spirit  acting  direct  upon  spirit, 
without  obstruction,  or  deception,  of  animal  covering  and  deceit- 
ful flesh ;  hypocrisy  will  lose  its  mask.  Our  present  plane  of 
existence  being  one  and  the  first  of  seven,  there  are  six  concentric 
circles,  zones,  or  spheres  around  us,  each  rising  higher  above  the 
other  in  the  blue  ether;  the  first  commencing  about  fifty  miles 
above  us,  where  our  atmosphere  is  supposed  by  some  to  cease,  but 
which  I  suppose  has  no  definite  bounds,  bat  is  gradually  merged 
and  lost  in  the  bright  circumambient  realm  of  pure  and  spotless 
spirituality.  That  these  spheres  thus  near  and  adjacent  to  us, 
with  a  connecting  and  continuous  element  of  intercourse  and  in- 
tercommunication, are  the  bright  abodes  of  our  departed  friends 
and  all  progressed  excarnated  men  and  women.  That  we  enter 
those  spheres  just  as  we  leave  this  plane,  with  our  vices  or  virtues, 
ignorance  or  intelligence;  with  every  feature  and  lineament  of 
face  and  limb,  as  developed  in  the  body;  the  same  form  and  con- 
figuration in  the  spiritualized  state,  of  which  in  fact  the  body  was 
the  mere  visible  representative,  and  from  which  it  took  its  form ; 
with  personal  identity  and  individuality  intact  and  unchanged. 
That  the  first  of  these  spheres  next  adjoining  our  present  rudi- 
mental  plane  is  comparatively  dark  and  imperfect,  a  Gehenna, 
Hades,  Sheol,  Tartarus,  or  Hell,  in  which  all  unprogressed,  low, 
ignorant,  vicious,  wicked  spirits  of  men  congregate  by  a  natural 
affinity  or  spiritual  gravitation.    That  this  region  is  thus  dark  — 


150  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

I  give  it  as  my  philosophy  of  the  fact  [Rembert]  —  because  inter- 
mediate from  the  earth  plane  where  physical  light  is  produced  by 
atmospheric  undulations,  and  the  higher  spheres  where  purer 
light  is  the  result  of  spiritual  illumination.  Beyond  our  atmos- 
phere is  probably  no  physical,  but  all  spiritual  light,  increasing  as 
we  leave  the  earth's  opaque  surface.  That  the  more  progressed 
and  enlightened,  the  true  and  the  good,  with  angelic  aspirations, 
will  be  attracted  to  the  second  or  higher  spheres,  suited  to  their 
tastes,  capacities,  congenialities,  and  developments.  That  pro- 
gress, universal  progress,  all  working  a  perfect  optimism,  is  God's 
grand,  primordial,  fundamental  law,  by  which  the  wicked  and 
low  in  the  first  sphere  will  gradually  improve  and  unfold  into 
higher  spheres  of  intelligence  and  happiness;  and  that  all  will 
progress  and  develop  into  new  beatitudes,  new  grandeurs,  and 
new  glories,  ever  enjoying  without  satiety,  ever  ascending  without 
exhaustion,  forever  fed  and  sustained  by  the  all-prolific  fountain 
of  all  spirit,  the  eternal  Father.  0,  what  a  sublime  philosophy  is 
this  for  the  vision  of  the  soul !  what  a  happy  consolation,  an  ever- 
present  bliss  always  welling  up  in  the  heart  of  the  good  and  the 
true,  the  pure  and  the  splendid,  and  may  be  poor  and  despised  in 
the  view  of  the  vain,  —  and  there  are  millions  such  in  this  death- 
drifting  stream  of  time,  —  to  contemplate  and  hope  for,  ay,  to  feel 
an  assurance  of  and  to  know  this  immortal  heaven  as  the  heritage 
of  heaven  eternity.  A  home  of  happiness  unalloyed,  of  purity 
unspotted,  mind  immaculate,  and  of  eternal,  expanding,  progres- 
sive, boundless  felicity.  The  bruised  and  broken  heart  healed 
and  made  whole  ;  loved  and  long-lost  friends  regained  ;  cherished 
friendships  of  the  buried  years  of  time  reclaimed;  severed  associa- 
tions, hallowed  memories  revived  to  burn  on  imperishable  altars  ; 
tender  feelings,  blasted  hopes,  deep  devoted  love  of  children,  kin- 
dred, friends  and  families  and  all  the  splendid  affections  of  the 
human  soul  divine,  that  glow  like  jewels  in  this  dim  old  casket 
of  earth,  shall  be  restored,  reunited,  gathered  up  to  the  fountains 
of  the  Father,  and  kindled  with  the  new  lustre  of  immortal 
glory ;  0,  the  rapturous,  transporting  joy  of  this  heavenly  reunion ! 
Perhaps,  when  we  leave  our  tenantless  body  and  look  back  at  our 
friends  of  earth  weeping  over  the  cold  casket,  the  first  to  hail  ua 
at  the  portals  of  those  blest  abodes  will  be  a  cherub  child, 
whose  prattling  ceased  on  earth  ere  it  felt  the  stain  of  sin,  or 
heaved  a  sigh  of  sorrow ;  or  a  loved,  adored,  long-lost  mother's 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  151 

voice,  that  so  often  soothed  our  little  storms  of  trouble,  and  who 
so  many  a  time  and  oft  bedewed  our  infant  pillow  with  tears  that 
none  but  she  could  shed,  will  be  the  first  to  welcome  and  embrace 
in  that  radiant  realm  of  love.  These  are  some  of  the  beatitudes 
promised  in  this  scientific  revelation  to  the  honest  and  energetic 
and  true.  And  the  unsullied  atmosphere  of  intellect,  unfettered 
from  the  flesh,  intellect  disencumbered  and  eliminated  from  the 
gross  manacles  of  this  animal  world  ;  to  move  in  mind,  mind  mu- 
tually mirrored  in  its  majesty;  creation  mapped  before  us  with  its 
myriad  suns  and  systems  that  constitute  the  great  dome  of  God's 
universe,  all  radiant  with  the  luminous  beams  of  infinite  wisdom 
that  pervade  the  outskirts  of  creation,  and  the  whole  a  splendid 
panorama  of  enraptured  vision  :  these  are  some  of  the  privileges 
and  pleasures  which  shall  doubtless  be  fully  realized  by  the  exalted 
denizens  of  these  glorious  mansions  of  immortality." 

"We  shall  now  present  for  consideration  some  of  the  so-called 
miracles  narrated  in  the  Scriptures,  as  compared  with  the  spiritual 
manifestations  of  the  present  day,  viewed  from  a  philosophical 
and  scientific  standpoint. 

"  Oue  of  the  most  wonderful  works  performed  by  Christ,  or 
rather  Jesus,  the  most  'miraculous'  is  that  of  raising  Lazarus 
from  the  dead.  Now,  if  that  could  not  have  been  done,  and  if 
this  cannot  now  be  done  by  natural  laws  and  on  natural  philoso- 
phy, it  never 'Was 'done  or  performed  at  all.  But  it  can  thus  be 
done,  and  no  doubt  was  performed.  Jesus  said,  '  Lazarus  is  not 
dead  but  slecpeth.'  Then  when  he  perceived  his  disciples  under- 
stood him  to  mean  a  natural  sleep,  he  corrected  tliis  false 
impression  by  saying,  '  He  is  dead.'  As  for  the  remark  of  Martha, 
that  decomposition  had  commenced,  having  been  dead  four  days, 
it  was  only  her  opinion,  which  proved  incorrect.  We  have  many 
authenticated  cases  of  this  kind  on  record  ;  in  the  Book  of  Kings 
it  is  said  that  Elisha  raised  the  dead,  the  vital  functions  having 
been  suspended  however  but  a  few  hours. 

Eev.  Wm.  Tenneut,  Presbyterian  clergyman  of  New  Jersey,  lay 
dead  (apparently)  for  three  days,  and  was  about  to  be  buried, 
when  he  revived.  The  wife  of  Mr.  Lancaster,  first  delegate  from 
Washington  Territory,  died  (to  all  appearances)  out  on  the  West- 
ern plains,  and  was  brought  on  a  litter  by  friendly  Indians,  a 
distance  of  three  hundred  miles,  to  Fort  Laramie,  occupying  eight 


152  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

days,  when  on  the  completion  of  the  preparations  for  her  inhuma- 
tion, she  revived  and  recovered,  lion.  Mr.  Osbore,  military  secreta- 
ry to  the  British  Indian  mission,  records  a  case  of  an  ludian  Fakir 
having  lain  entombed  ten  inonths,  and  upon  exhumation  was  re- 
suscitated and  restored  to  life  and  health  ;  if  I  am  not  mistaken, 
this  author  was  witness  to  the  whole  proceeding  from  beginning  to 
end.  This  cataleptic  condition  of  trance,  resembling  hybernation 
of  animals,  in  which  there  is  a  total  suspension  of  all  physical  and 
perhaps  spiritual  dynamics,  is  and  has  been  frequently  overcome 
by  the  power  of  will,  of  love,  of  magnetism  in  another  organism, 
operating  upon  the  unconscious  and  negative  subject;  just  as 
asthma,  asphyxia,  catalepsy,  pleurisy,  rheumatism,  neuralgia,  and 
all  deseases  both  acute  and  chronic,  of  short  or  long  standing,  are 
now  frequently  cured,  and  sometimes  in  a  few  minutes,  when  all 
known  therapeutic  agents  of  the  medical  faculty  have  failed  ;  and 
also  as  the  most  painful  and  dangerous  capital  cases  of  surgery 
are  now  performed  Avith  facility,  without  pain,  and  with  little 
hemorrhage  and  with  little  inflammation ;  all  under  the  wonderful 
influence  of  magnetism  or  vital  electricity. 

As  this  involves  an  important  part  of  the  philosophy  of  life,  a 
brief  explanation  may  be  necessary,  with  a  little  deviation  from 
the  general  system  of  my  subject.  All  the  physical  functions, 
and  the  spiritual  faculties,  and  the  entire  vital  dynamics  of  the 
human  machine,  are  dependent  on,  and  under  the  control  of  mag- 
netism, or  vital  electricity;  and  as  this  is  in  redundancy  or  defi- 
ciency, so  is  the  character  of  disease.  If  not  in  all  (as  contended 
by  some),  a  large  proportion  of  our  diseases  originate  from  an 
unbalanced  or  disturbed  condition  of  this  subtile  fluid ;  as  in  ex- 
cess, inflammations  follow,  so  a  want  of  the  proper  quantum  is  fol- 
lowed by  a  want  of  vital  action  ;  this  excess  is  removed  or  abstracted 
by  proper  manipulations  from  a  perfect  and  harmonic  magnetizer, 
and  the  process  is  erpedited  by  the  application  of  ammonia,  vine- 
gar, or  water,  as  this  facilitates  the  passage  of  the  superabundant 
electricity :  but  not  oil,  or  fat,  or  grease,  as  this  obstructs.  This 
process  is  illustrated  in  Christ  and  his  apostles  relieving  the  sick 
'  by  the  laying  on  of  hands,'  which  was  done  for  several  centuries, 
and  is  now  a  very  common  occurrence,  hy  proper  manifestations, 
I  mean  making  the  passes  from  the  deranged  point  outwards,  like 
magnetizing  a  piece  of  metal ;  for  when  the  direction  is  reversed 
a  contrary  result  follows.    When  there  is  a  deficiency  of  this  vital 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  153 

force,  the  contact  of  a  positive,  vigorous  magnetizer  will  impart 
the  requisite  amount,  and  restore  the  proper  vitality :  as  exempli- 
fied in  Elisha,  restoring  the  suspended  animation  of  the  child 
apparently  dead ;  with  many  such  cases  on  record,  and  also  by 
the  force  of  a  potent,  perfect  ivill,  as  Christ  restoring  Lazarus, 
with  many  similar  facts  well  authenticated. 

The  splendid  and  philosophic  S.  B.  Britton,  in  his  magnificent 
work  entitled  '  Man  and  his  Eelations,'  relates  from  a  Memphis 
paper:  'A  married  couple  were  on  their  way  from  New  Orleans 
up  the  river,  when  the  husband  sickened  and  died.  The  bereaved 
widow  landed  at  Memphis  with  the  remains,  where  she  made  ar- 
rangements for  the  funeral.  The  form  of  her  bosom  friend  was 
about  to  be  conveyed  to  the  scene  of  its  final  repose,  but  fond  af- 
fection demanded  the  privilege  of  one  last,  lingering  look,  and 
accordingly  the  lid  was  removed  from  the  coffin.  Bending  over 
the  cold  and  apparently  lifeless  form,  she  bathed  the  brow  with 
her  scalding  tears,  and  fervently  kissed  the  frigid  lips.  In  this 
great  struggle,  love  triumphed  over  death.  There  was  one  who 
had  "slept  "  as  long,  and  doubtless  as  profoundly,  as  Lazarus;  but 
the  Divine  Spirit  that  animates  all  things  —  acting  through  the 
mediumship  of  a  frail  woman  —  dissolved  death's  icy  chains,  and 
set  the  captive  free.  That  nian  recovered,  inspired  with  new  en- 
ergy, and  gratitude  to  the  Being  in  whose  hand  are  the  issues  of 
life  and  death.'  Again  from  the  same  superb  author :  '  Tlie  form 
of  Lazarus  was  in  a  perfectly  negative  state;  and  a  great  physi- 
cal, spiritual,  and  divine  magnet,  in  the  person  and  power  of  Jesus, 
stood  at  the  door  of  the  sepulchre.  The  powers  of  the  heavens, 
acting  through  the  concentrated  energies  of  his  mind  and  the 
subtile  agents  of  the  natural  world,  established  the  necessary  con- 
nection. Virtue  descended  and  went  out  from  Jesus  to  quicken 
the  lifeless  form.  The  vital  fluids  began  to  circulate;  the  life- 
giving  energy  was  transfused  through  all  the  veins  and  arteries ; 
a  subtile,  all-communicating  spirit  ran  along  the  avenues  of  sen- 
sation, and  the  nerves  moved  like  the  strings  of  an  untuned  lyre, 
when  they  arc  swept  by  a  mighty  wind.  A  loud  voice  re-echoed 
through  the  cavern,  and  the  sleeper  awoke,  to  walk  again  with  the 
living.'  Moreover,  through  psychometry,  or  clairvoyance,  or 
clairaudience,  or  some  other  means  of  clear  perception,  more  won- 
derful than  this,  and  as  well  authenticated  as  these,  disease  is  de- 
tected and  described,  perceived  and  prescribed  for  at  a  distance  of 


154  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

hundreds  of  miles,  without  the  least  previous  knowledge,  acquaint- 
ance, or  hearsay  ;  and  correctly,  too,  as  is  attested  by  the  success, 
when  of  I6ng  and  unsuccessful  treatment  by  the  old  profession. 
But  all  this  is  effected  through  the  laws  of  nature,  —  there  is  no 
other  way  to  effect  anything,  —  laws  which  we  are  j  ust  beginning  to 
find  out  and  unfold.  No  (to  resume),  it  is  not  the  facts  we  deny, 
unless  in  direct  contravention  to  well-known  philosophy,  but  the 
miraculous  phase  of  the  facts ;  nor  are  we,  on  the  other  hand, 
necessarily  committed  to  their  afl&rmation." 

"We  will  next  take  the  conversion  of  St.  Paul.  "  A  great  many 
Protestant  Christians,  especially  of  the  Episcopalians,  deny  this 
sudden  change  of  heart,  or  change  of  life,  called  conversion ;  but 
St.  Paul  is  generally  cited  and  urged  as  a  case  in  point  and  proof 
of  instantaneous  conversion.  This  case  of  St.  Paul,  however,  is 
not  one  of  miracle,  but  of  philosophy,  just  stated  like  all  others  of 
the  same  analogy.  I  would  like  to  argue  this  question  at  length, 
but  must  desist.  Nevertheless,  as  I  condemn  dogmatics  in  oth- 
ers, I  must  not  be  guilty  myself  of  dogmatism ;  therefore,  I  feel 
bound  to  say,  that  while  this  '  conversion '  by  the  direct  act  of  God 
himself,  or  his  Holy  Ghost,  as  claimed  by  the  orthodox,  may  be 
within  the  bounds  of  possibility,  it  is  certainly  much  more  rational, 
and  reasonable,  and  natural,  to  believe  it  effected,  as  I  have  said, 
in  accordance  with  known  laws  of  nature  and  a  beautiful  philoso- 
phy, which  indeed  detracts  nothing  from  its  intrinsic  value,  but 
rather  adds  to  its  comforts  to  know  that  our  angel  friends  are 
ever  around  and  near,  to  hear,  and  heed,  and  help  us.  And 
whether  the  influence  be  the  direct  action  of  our  Father,  God,  or 
of  a  vicarious  Christ,  or  of  a  mysterious  Holy  Ghost,  or  of  our 
progressed,  excarnated,  and  spiritualized  friends,  in  the  form  of 
angels,  it  is  hallowed  and  happy,  purifying  and  felicitous,  and 
should  be  encouraged,  cultivated,  and  cherished  ;  not  merely  em- 
braced during  temporary  popular  excitement,  to  be  immediately 
disregarded,  and  decided  as  popular  illusion ;  all  puerile  excite- 
ment may  be  thus  decided,  but  not  these  true,  splendid  spiritual 
manifestations,  and  happy  impartations  of  the  heavenly  world, 
called  by  some  '  conversion,'  or  any  other  name.  This  rational 
and  natural  philosophy  —  rational  because  natural,  and  natural 
because  rational  —  also  explains  and  clears  the  mystery  from  the 
condition  of  trance,  so  frequent,  particularly  in  revival  excitements. 
St.  Paul's  celebrated  trance,  as  well  as  his  conversion,  all  come 


THE   TUSrSEALED   BOOK.  155 

within  the  sphere  and  purview  of  this  splendid  philosophy  of 
spirit  power  and  angelic  influence  and  intercourse.  It  likewise 
explicates  the  otherwise  strange  medical  fact,  that  persons  in  this 
condition  of  trance,  or  in  any  under  the  control  of  spirit  power, 
invariably  recover,  after  remaining  for  hours  pulseless,  and  appar- 
ently lifeless,  as,  for  instance,  the  case  recorded  by  Dr.  Chegne  of 
Col.  Townshend,  of  Scotland,  whose  heart  ceased  to  beat,  no  pulse, 
no  respiration,  his  entire  frame  cold  and  rigid,  features  shrunk 
and  colorless,  all  to  such  extent  that  three  medical  men  pronounced 
him  dead.  Now,  we  know  that  this  condition  of  the  physical  sys- 
tem, originating  from  functional,  structural,  or  any  other  cause 
than  spirituiil,  is  certain  dissolution.  Spiritual  mediums  are  thus 
controlled  for  hours,  and  we  have  seen  persons  at  revival  meetings 
in  the  same  condition,  with  their  vital  energies  prostrated,  and 
physical  functions  almost,  some  entirely,  suspended,  and  wondered 
at  their  easy  and  perfect  recovery,  without  injury,  when  they  are, 
as  most  frequently,  of  fragile  frames  and  feeble  vitality,  and  much 
weaker  cause  and  less  excitement  otherwise  would  prove  fatal. 
This  philosophy  of  modern  science  explains  it  all  satisfactorily 
and  consolitorily. 

But,  says  the  Christian  of  miraculous  faith,  we  feel  and  witness 
a  like  internal  evidence,  and  know  whereof  we  si)eak.  Now,  right 
here  we  open  an  interesting  metaphysical,  pueumatological,  psy- 
chical question,  illustrated  and  disphiyed  to  a  great  degree  at 
popular  camp-meetings,  and  other  religious  revivals.  This  phe- 
nomenon is  scientifically  known  as  pathetism.  I  have  witnessed 
and  experienced  it  myself,  in  its  most  wonderful  displays.  We 
have  seen  proud,  strong  men  full  in  fear  and  trembling  under  its 
mighty  influence,  and  young,  guileless  girls  of  sixteen  summers 
cry  in  the  most  piteous  accents  of  deep  agony  and  travail  of  soul, 
and  pour  out  their  tender  hearts  in  tears  for  mercy,  from  sure, 
sudden,  and  impending  doom.  Mercy  for  what  ?  Ilad  they  ever 
sinned,  these  guileless  girls  ?  Ay,  and  we  have  seen  them  rise  in 
renewed  strength,  suddenly  energized  from  an  unseen  source,  and 
heard  shouts  of  hai>i)iness  ring  out  from  their  little  temples,  like 
echoes  from  immortal  melodies,  while  bright  effulgence  gleamed 
through  their  glistening  tears,  like  the  play  of  sparkling  sunlight 
through  pearly  rain-drops.  Now,  whence  and  wherefore  is  this? 
You  affirm  it  to  be  *  conversion  '  by  the  direct  action  of  God.  I 
aver  it  is  not '  conversion,'  for  their  after  lives,  soon  as  the  tran- 


156  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

sient  influence  is  over,  proves  no  change  of  heart,  or  change  of 
life,  or  permanent  conversion  of  any  kind.  Neither  is  it  the  di- 
rect action  of  tlie  great  God,  for  he  cannot  tlius  contravene  his 
own  character  and  immutable  laws,  by  working  a  miracle  in  a 
human  '  conversion,'  to  be  immediately  set  aside,  frustrated,  and 
falsified.  True  philosophy  of  pathetism  as  evinced  in  revivals  is, 
first,  a  great  many  minds  are  so  constituted,  that  they  may  per- 
suade themselves,  by  constant,  assiduous  effort,  to  believe  any- 
thing they  have  an  intense  will  and  desire  to  believe ;  hence,  by 
their  intense  will  and  effort,  they  believe  they  are  converted,  which 
cannot  be  retorted  on  the  evidence  of  science ;  or,  second,  the 
well-known  mesmeric  sympathy  epidemic,  in  a  crowd  of  high- 
wrought  feeling ;  or,  third,  the  psychological  power  of  the  opera- 
tor (preacher)  over  the  congregation ;  or,  fourth,  the  actual 
presence  of  angelic  or  spirit  friends,  blessing  them  in  their  then 
peculiar  condition  of  receptivity,  which  is  the  true  condition  of 
sincere  prayer,  and  which,  when  kept  up  and  persevered  in,  as  is 
the  case  in  a  few  instances  (St.  Paul  for  one),  the  '  conversion  ' 
will  continue  and  be  permanent  to  this  extent,  no  more. 

All  these  wonderful  manifestations  and  mysterious  phenomena 
we  witness  at  large  revivals  are  wrought  by  and  through  some  or 
all  of  these  means,  the  natural  operations  of  causes  well  known 
and  understood  by  the  scientific  philosopher.  The  great  differ- 
ences and  variations  in  the  act  and  process  of  '  conversion,'  accord- 
ing to  the  different  characters  and  temperaments  of  the  various 
subjects,  some  requiring  long-continued  and  persistent  efforts, 
others  proving  of  ready  facility,  comport  with  the  same  differences 
in  mesmeric  subjects  and  spiritual  mediums,  all  under  the  same 
principles  and  laws,  some  requiring  long  laborious  efforts,  others 
evincing  a  ready  aptitude  to  this  peculiar  influence  under  the 
control  of  mind  or  spirit,  whether  in  or  out  of  the  flesh  :  they  are 
mutually  corroborative  and  expository.  This  likewise  accounts 
for  the  otherwise  unaccountable  and  anomalous  fact  that  the 
most  wicked  and  hardened  sinners  are  often  the  easiest  of  conver- 
sion, and  the  most  upright  and  exemplary  characters  the  most 
difficult  of  conversion.  And  this  philosophy  also  explains  the 
otherwise  inexplicable  mystery  of  some  preachers,  like  Caughy 
and  Spurgeon,  for  examples,  being  so  successful  in  revivals ;  for 
it  cannot  be  attributed  to  extra  piety,  as  it  is  well  known  that 
they  are  frequently  vain  and  vindictive,  unless  this  be  considered 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  157 

extra  piety,  which  indeed  is  according  to  the  principles  of  some 
religionists.  While  on  the  other  hand  some  of  the  most  humble, 
honest,  pions,  and  self-denying  preachers  are  the  least  successful 
in  the  cause  of  revivals  and  conversions. 

Everybody  has  this  element  in  greater  or  less  degree,  suscepti- 
ble of  mesmeric  influence  or  spirit  control,  called  '  conversion.' 
But  while  you  assert  in  these  phenomena  of  revivals  a  supernal 
and  supernatural  agency,  you  deny  it  in  all  others.  You  aver  all 
other  modern  spiritual  manifestations  are  not  preternatural  or 
supernal,  but  the  result  of  deception,  delusion,  an  intellectual 
epidemic,  or  some  mysterious,  unknown,  incarnated  agency  of 
mundane  nature ;  while  I  affirm  them  to  be  demonstrations  of 
spiritual  or  supernal  agency. 

In  the  case  of  revivals  you  assert  them  to  be  due  to  supernal 
agency,  and  I  too  well  know  causes  and  elements  existing  in  the 
human  mind  Avhile  incarnated  as  well  as  excarnated.  The  differ- 
ence is,  I  can  account  for  and  explain  my  opinions  on  principles 
of  natural  philosophy  ;  but  yoii  cannot  account  for  or  explain 
yours  on  any  known  principles  whatever,  unless  you  claim  mere 
faith  as  the  principle,  which  is  accepting  my  philosophy  of  the 
delusion.  Spirit  intercourse  you  reject  through  blind  ignorance; 
revival  conversion  you  accept  through  blind  faith :  when  here  we 
have  a  philosophy  which  explains  both  on  scientific  principles  of 
demonstration.  Will  you  plunge  the  abysmal  Scylla  and  Charyb- 
dis  of  faith  and  ignorance  on  the  one  hand,  or  on  the  other  climb 
the  clear  mountain  of  philosophy  and  truth,  around  whose  sum- 
mit play  the  selectest  lights  of  science  ?  Nor  can  it  be  retorted 
on  Spiritualists  that  they  are  as  liable  to  delusion  in  believing  in 
spiritual  inspiration  as  the  old  religionists  in  believing  in  conver- 
sion by  the  Holy  Ghost,  or  the  special  pardon  of  sins  by  the  direct 
act  of  God.  We  have  the  natural  laws  of  natural  philosophy  to 
explain  and  vindicate  ours,  while  they  have  no  law  and  no  philos- 
ophy to  account  for  theirs,  but  all  in  contravention.  All  known 
laws  of  nature  and  philosophy  refute  their  faith  as  futile  and  delu- 
sive, but  not  detrimental  or  pernicious  to  a  large  portion  of  the 
human  family.  In  short  and  pithy  anecdote,  *  conversion'  fre- 
quently amounts  to  this :    '  Parson  ,  have  you  noticed  any 

change  in  B since  he  was  converted  and  joined  the  church  ?' 

'0  5'es,  very  great;  before,  when  he  went  out  to  mend  his  fences 
on  Sunday,  he  carried  his  axe  on  his  shoulder,  but  now  he  carries 
it  under  his  overcoat.'  " 


158  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

"  And  after  six  days  Jesus  taketh  Peter,  James,  and  John  his 
brother  and  bringeth  them  up  into  an  high  mountain  apart, 

And  was  transfigured  before  them :  and  his  face  did  shine  as 
the  sun,  and  his  raiment  was  white  as  the  light. 

And,  behold,  there  appeared  unto  them  Moses  and  Elias  talking 
with  him. 

"  And  when  the  Sabbath  was  past,  Mary  Magdalene,  and  Mary 
the  mother  of  James,  and  Salome,  had  brought  sweet  spices,  that 
they  might  come  and  anoint  him. 

And  very  early  in  the  morning  the  first  day  of  the  week,  they 
came  unto  the  sepulchre  at  the  rising  of  the  sun. 

A4id  they  said  among  themselves,  who  shall  roll  us  away  the 
stone  from  the  door  of  the  sepulchre  ? 

And  when  they  looked  they  saw  that  the  stone  was  rolled  away : 
for  it  was  very  great. 

And  entering  into  the  sepulchre,  they  saw  a  young  man  sitting 
on  the  right  side,  clothed  in  a  long  white  garment ;  and  they  were 
affrighted." 

Here  we  have  on  record  two  cases  of  materialization. 

At  the  present  day  there  are  hundreds  of  similar  manifestations. 
Dr.  Watson  says  :  — 

"  When  we  were  told,  in  our  investigations  in  this  city  in  1856, 
that  spirits  would  show  themselves  as  they  were  in  mortal  life, 
we  never  expected  to  live  to  see  it.  Yet  we  have  lived  to  see  the 
prediction  of  Jesus  literally  fulfilled,  that  we  should  see  the  angels 
ascending  and  descending.  This  has  not  been  done  in  a  corner, 
but  in  the  presence  of  from  five  to  fifty  persons  at  a  time ;  not 
alone  in  the  gas-light,  but  in  the  sunlight  in  this  city. 

We  have  been  taking  five  monthly  magazines  devoted  to  Spirit- 
ualism, published  in  London,  since  our  return  from  Europe,  be- 
sides weekly  papers  in  both  hemispheres.  They  are  giving  accounts 
of  new  mediums  for  materialization  all  over  the  land.  We  could 
fill  half  a  dozen  such  periodicals  with  these  accounts,  many  of 
them  written  by  those  who  had  previously  been  sceptics.  The 
spirits  say  that  in  less  than  five  years  they  will  be  able  to  address 
public  assemblies  from  the  platform  in  full  view  of  the  audience. 
From  what  we  have  seen  and  heard  in  London  and  here,  we  are 
inclined  to  believe  they  will  be  able  to  do  it." 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  159 

A  friend  writes  me  that  she  has  witnessed  a  case  of  materializa- 
tion in  New  York  City  which  was  the  means  of  instantly  convert- 
ing a  sceptic,  a  lady  who  had  for  years  been  a  persecutor  of  her 
husband  for  his  belief.  The  spirit  who  materialized  was  an  old 
lover  of  hers  whom  she  said  she  had  not  thought  of  for  a  year. 
She  said  there  could  not  be  a  shadow  of  doubt  as  to  his  iden- 
tity. 

"  The  angel  of  the  Lord  descended  from  heaven,  and  came  and 
rolled  back  the  stone  from  the  door,  and  sat  upon  it." 

Again,  when  Peter  and  other  of  the  apostles  were  imprisoned, 
"  the  angel  of  the  Lord  by  night  opened  the  prison  doors,  and 
brought  them  forth." 

There  are  many  mediums  at  the  present  day  through  whose 
powers  are  enacted  even  more  wonderful  physical  manifestations. 
Large  and  ponderable  bodies  are  not  only  moved  by  the  simple 
laying  on  of  hands,  but  in  many  cases  without  visible  contact,  and 
also  to  float  in  air  as  if  but  a  feather's  weight.  Many  mediums 
who  have  been  confined  in  narrower  than  prison  cells  and  bound 
with  cords  defying  human  skill  to  unloose,  have  been  instantly 
and  easily  released  and  extricated  by  spiritual  agency. 

"A  hand  from  out  of  the  invisible  did  once  appear  and  write 
upon  the  walls  of  a  banquet-room,  and  the  form  of  another  was 
put  forth  and  took  Ezckicl  by  a  lock  of  his  hair,  and  the  spirit 
lifted  him  up  between  the  earth  and  the  heaven." 

Invisible  hands  at  the  present  day  write,  not  only  upon  walls, 
but  in  the  very  air  itself,  —  to  say  nothing  of  the  slate  writing, 
—  by  which  are  given  Satisfactory  tests,  by  names,  dates,  places, 
and  circumstances,  demonstrating  the  presence  of  the  relatives  or 
friends  of  the  parties  present,  —  the  parties  themselrves  being  en- 
tire strangers  to  the  medium.  This  writing  is  usually  accom- 
plished by  holding  a  slate  with  a  bit  of  pencil  upon  it  Underneath 
a  table,  pressing  up  against  the  same,  or  by  joining  two  slates 
with  pencil  between.  The  spirits  have  more  than  once  attested 
their  strength  by  wresting  the  slate  from  the  hands  of  a  strong 
man  and  breaking  it  in  pieces. 

"  Ignatius  Loyola,"  says  Rembert,  "  the  founder  of  the  Jesu- 
its, whom  I  've  been  religiously  reared  to  hate,  who  Avas  sincere 
and  devout  in  his  religious  lustrations,  notwithstanding  the  atroci- 


160  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

ties  of  his  later  sectators,  was  frequently,  as  it  is  related,  taken  np 
bodily  during  his  religious  exercise.  Prior  to  the  modern  philos- 
ophy spirit,  I  would  have  rejected  this  and  all  kindred  stories  as 
fabulous;  but  now  I  am  prepared  to  believe  it  and  receive  it  as 
true,  these  marvellous  histories  of  the  past,  because  we  have  them 
enacted  now,  at  the  present  day,  and  have  found  a  philosophy  for 
them.  Mr.  Home  is  frequently  taken  up,  without  visible  agency, 
and  carried  around  in  a  room  near  the  ceiling.  Now  what  opera- 
tion of  physical  science  or  principle  of  physical  philosophy  does 
all  this  ?  MVe  know  not,  and  nobody  knows  a  physical  element  or 
combination  of  such  elements  adequate  to  this  phenomenon,  be- 
yond our  detection.  The  only  solution  is  mental  or  spiritual ; 
and  whence  and  who  and  where  the  mind  or  spirit,  if  it  be  not  our 
excarnated  friends,  now  immortal  angels,  in  contiguous  spheres 
near  to  and  communicating  with  us  ?  Then,  ye  men  of  science, 
fully  unfold  this  mighty  philosophy  of  a  new  element  in  human 
nature,  a  potent  principle  for  no  good,  no  purpose,  to  the  creator 
or  the  creature,  unless  it  reaches  to  a  kindred  spirit  land  whose 
love  attractions  draw  us  to  those  sweet  shores  of  spirit  empire, 
where  we  shall  drink  from  near  the  fountain,  and  imbibe  the 
vitalizing  azure  air  that  develops  angelic  intelligence,  —  the 
mighty  multitude  of  happy  life  God  is  gathering  around  him,  as 
a  father  gathers  his  children  and  binds  their  brows  with  garlands 
of  beauty  and  love." 

"  And  when  David  inquired  of  the  Lord,  he  said.  Thou  shalt 
not  go  up ;  but  fetch  a  compass  behind  them,  and  come  upon  them 
over  against  the  mulberry-trees. 

And  let  it  be  when  thou  hearest  the  sound  of  a  going  in  the 
tops  of  the  mulberry-trees,  that  then  thou  shalt  bestir  thyseK :  for 
then  shall  the  Lord  go  out  before  thee." 

"A  young  lady  is  engaged  to  be  married  to  a  gentleman  who  is 
a  fine  musician  (particularly  on  the  piano),  and  the  day  and  hour 
set.  Before  the  appointed  time  of  their  nuptial  consummation 
he  is  accidentally  killed.  At  her  house  grief  takes  the  place  of 
joy.  When  the  appointed  day  arrives,  and  the  clock  strikes  the 
hour  when  hilarity  and  happiness  momentary  should  have  reigned 
supreme,  alas  !  gloom,  grief,  and  woe  usurp  their  place ;  tears 
flow  instead  of  smiles,  and  the  mansion  is  draped  in  mourning. 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  161 

But  hark !  from  the  neglected  piano,  on  whish  the  lost  intended 
had  so  often  performed,  in  the  deserted  parlor,  suddenly  come 
ravishing  strains  of  gushing  melody.  The  startled  family  rush 
into  the  parlor  and  find  the  instrument  pouring  forth  Ms  favorite 
piece,  which  it  had  so  often  discoursed  under  his  magic  touch,  and 
not  a  person  present  or  in  contact." 

We  would  ask  if  "  the  sound  of  a  going  in  the  tops  of  the  mul- 
berry-trees" could  be  any  more  wonderful  than  this;  especially  if 
angels  are,  as  often  represented,  invested  with  "  wings,"  with  which 
they  might  easily  raise  a  gentle  breeze. 

We  read  of  Moses  leading  the  children  of  Israel  dry-shod  across 
the  Red  Sea.  Napoleon  Bonaparte  did  the  same  thing  at  the 
same  place  three  thousand  years  later,  from  a  now  well-known 
etesian  cause,  —  the  prevalence  of  winds  from  a  certain  quarter 
rendering  it  entirely  practicable.  Again,  we  read  of  Moses  being 
commanded  to  smite  a  rock  at  a  certain  place,  and  water  came 
forth.  Not  long  since  we  were  reading  an  account  of  a  gentleman 
in  Chicago  being  advised  by  a  spirit  friend  to  dig  in  the  earth  at 
a  certain  place ;  ho  followed  the  advice,  despite  the  derision  of  his 
earthly  friends,  and  sank  an  Artesian  well. 

"  And  God  came  unto  Balaam  at  night,  and  said  unto  him,  if 
the  men  come  to  call  thee,  rise  up,  and  go  with  them :  but  yet  the 
word  which  I  shall  say  unto  thee,  that  shalt  thou  do. 

And  Balaam  rose  up  in  the  morning,  and  saddled  his  ass,  and 
went  with  the  princes  of  Noah. 

And  God's  anger  was  kindled  because  he  went ;  and  the  angel 
of  the  Lord  stood  in  the  way,  for  an  adversary  against  him.  Now 
he  was  riding  upon  his  ass,  and  his  two  servants  w'cre  with 
him. 

And  the  ass  saw  the  angel  of  the  Lord  standing  in  the  way,, 
and  his  sword  drawn  in  his  hand:  and  the  ass  turned  aside  out  of 
the  way  and  went  into  the  field:  and  Balaam  smote  the  ass,  tO' 
turn  her  into  the  way. 

But  the  angel  of  tlie  Lord  stood  in  a  path  of  the  vineyards,  a 
wall  being  on  this  side,  and  a  wall  on  that  side. 

And  when  the  ass  saw  the  angel  of  the  Lord,  she  thrust  herself 
unto  the  wall,  and  crushed  Balaam's  foot  against  the  wall :  andi 
he  smote  her  again. 

And  the  angel  of  the  Lord  went  further,  and  stood  in  a  narrow 


162  THE   UNSEAIiED   BOOK. 

place,  where  was  no  way  to  turn,  either  to  the  right  hand  or  to 
the  left. 

And  when  the  ass  saw  the  angel  of  the  Lord,  she  fell  down 
under  Balaam :  and  Balaam's  anger  was  kindled,  and  he  smote 
the  ass  with  a  staff. 

And  the  Lord  opened  the  mouth  of  the  ass,  and  she  said  unto 
Balaam,  What  have  I  done  unto  thee,  that  thou  hast  smitten  me 
these  three  times  ? 

And  Balaam  said  unto  the  ass,  Because  thou  hast  mocked  me : 
I  would  there  were  a  sword  in  mine  hand,  for  now  would  I  kill  thee. 

And  the  ass  said  unto  Balaam,  Am  not  I  thine  ass,  upon  which 
thou  hast  ridden  ever  since  I  was  thine  unto  this  day  ?  was  I  ever 
wont  to  do  so  unto  thee  ?    And  he  said,  Nay. 

Then  the  Lord  opened  the  eyes  of  Balaam,  and  he  saw  the  an- 
gel of  the  Lord  standing  in  the  way,  and  his  sword  drawn  in  his 
hand :  and  he  howed  down  his  head,  and  fell  flat  on  his  face. 

And  the  angel  of  the  Lord  said  unto  him.  Wherefore  hast  thou 
smitten  thine  ass  these  three  times  ?  behold,  I  went  out  to  with- 
stand thee,  because  thy  way  is  perverse  before  me  : 

And  the  ass  saw  me,  and  turned  from  me  these  three  times : 
unless  she  had  turned  from  me,  surely  now  also  I  had  slain  thee, 
and  saved  her  alive. 

And  Balaam  said  unto  the  angel  of  the  Lord,  I  have  sinned ; 
for  I  knew  not  that  thou  stoodest  in  the  way  against  me :  now 
therefore,  if  it  displease  thee,  I  will  get  me  back  again." 

This  seems  very  strange,  and  doubtless  the  majority  of  readers 
believe  that  Balaam's  ass  actually  spoke.  Our  version  of  the  case 
is,  that  Balaam  (or  his  ass)  possessed  the  phase  of  media mship 
called  clairaudient.  There  are  scores  of  mediums  at  the  present 
day  whose  powers  are  such  that  conversations  are  held  with  voices 
outside  of  themselves,  and  when  their  mouths  are  closed  and 
sealed  with  sticking-plaster.  I  have  myself  heard  quite  a  lengthy 
discourse  from  a  voice  sounding  like  that  of  a  strong,  powerful 
man,  the  medium  through  whose  powers  it  was  accomplished  be- 
ing a  frail,  delicate-looking  woman  with  a  weak  voice. 

The  question  now  is,  which  was  the  medium,  Balaam  or  his 
ass  ?  As  this  is  the  only  instance  we  know  of  on  record,  where 
an  animal  is  said  to  have  spoken,  we  should  give  Balaam  the  pref- 
erence, even  though  the  ass  was  the  first  to  perceive  the  angel- 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  163 

presence ;  nor  is  that  so  very  mysterious,  when  we  compare  some 
of  the  great  intellects  of  the  present  day  with  the  poor,  untaught,  or 
self-taught  Indian,  whose  discernment  of  spiritual  influence  is  in 
the  ascendant.  Note,  if  you  please,  we  only  said  some  of  our  great 
intellects;  for,  as  we  have  before  stated,  many  of  our  most  intelli- 
gent and  noble-minded  men  have  broken  through  the  veil  of 
prejudice,  and  are  among  the  stanch  upholders  of  this  beautiful 
philosophy.  We  will  give  an  anecdote  of  Cuvier,  the  great  scien- 
tist, whose  brain  was  the  largest  ever  measured. 

'•  In  a  dream  the  Devil  appeared  to  Cuvier,  and  said  he  had 
come  to  devour  him.  Cuvier  surveyed  him  thoroughly  and  ex- 
claimed, '  Horns,  hoofs,  granivorous.  I ' m  not  afraid  of  you.' 
His  Satanic  Majesty  also  presented  himself  to  one  of  the  sable 
sons  of  Ham,  whose  race  the  Puritans  are  so  eager  to  take  to  their 
bosoms,  and  who,  it  must  be  confessed,  .are  equals  of  the  latter  in 
everything  save  shoddy,  or  the  power  of  pecuniosity,  and  nasal 
psalm-singing  on  Sunday,  in  which  latter,  however,  there  is  great 
rhythmic  concord.  Says  Ham,  'Who  dat?'  '  The  Devil,  come 
after  Ham.'  'Ham  not  here;  Ham  ain't  been  here  dese  two 
months  ! '  was  the  quick  and  silly  answer  of  the  ignorant  and 
frightened  Afric  hero." 

"  And  the  third  day  there  was  a  marriage  in  Cana  of  Galilee ; 
and  the  mother  of  Jesus  was  there  : 

And  both  Jesus  was  called,  and  his  disciples,  to  the  marriage. 

And  when  they  wanted  wine,  the  mother  of  Jesus  saith  unto 
him,  They  have  no  wine. 

Jesus  saith  unto  her.  Woman,  what  have  I  to  do  with  thee  ? 
mine  hour  is  not  yet  come. 

His  mother  saith  unto  the  servants,  Whatsoever  he  saith  unto 
you,  do  it. 

And  there  were  set  there  six  water-pots  of  stone,  after  the  man- 
ner of  the  purifying  of  the  Jews,  containing  two  or  three  firkins 
apiece. 

Jesus  saith  unto  them,  Fill  the  water-pots  with  water.  And 
they  filled  them  up  to  the  brim. 

And  he  saith  unto  them.  Draw  out  now,  and  bear  unto  the 
governor  of  the  feast.    And  they  bore  it. 

When  the  ruler  of  the  feast  had  tasted  the  water  that  was  made 
wine,  and  knew  not  whence  it  was  (but  the  servants  which  drew 


164  THE    UNSEALED   BOOK. 

the  water  knew),  the  governor  of  the  feast  called  the  bridegroom, 
and  saith  unto  him,  Every  man  at  the  beginning  doth  set  forth 
good  wine ;  and  when  men  have  well  drunk,  then  that  which  is 
worse:  but  thou  hast  kept  the  good  wine  until  now. 

This  beginning  of  miracles  did  Jesus  in  Cana  of  Galilee,  and 
manifested  forth  his  glory ;  and  his  disciples  believed  on  him." 

We  will  now  call  your  attention  to  some  of  the  marvels  of  mind 
as  unfolded  by  modern  biology  or  electrical  psychology ;  quoting 
first  from  Dr.  Dodds,  who  has  done  more  than  any  one  else,  per- 
haps, to  evolve  this  magnificent  science  : — 

"  The  wonderful  and  startling  phenomena  that  hover  around 
it  like  so  many  invisible  angels,  and  which  are  made  manifest  in 
the  experiments  produced,  I  have  also  candidly  stated.  They  con- 
sist in  the  fact,  that  one  human  being  can,  through  a  certain  ner- 
vous influence,  obtain  and  exercise  a  power  over  another,  so  as  to 
perfectly  control  his  voluntary  motions  and  muscular  force;  and 
also  produce  various  impressions  on  his  mind,  however  extrava- 
gant, ludicrous,  or  wild ;  and  that,  too,  while  he  is  in  a  perfectly 
wakeful  state.  I  have  found  persons  entirely  and  naturally  in  the 
electro-psychological  state,  who  never  could  be  mesmerized  at  all, 
nor  in  the  least  aiiected  under  repeated  trials;  that  no  person  is 
naturally  in  the  mesmeric  state,  but  thousands  are  naturally  in 
the  electro-psychological,  and  live  and  die  in  it.  It  is  the  science 
of  the  living  mind,  its  silent  and  mysterious  workings  and  ener- 
getic powers.  It  is  a  science  that  evolves  the  majestic  movement 
of  rolling  worlds,  the  falling  leaf,  and  claims  the  great  law  of  the 
universe  as  its  own." 

"  Have  you  ever  witnessed  any  of  these  wonderful  phenomena 
of  psychology  as  exhibited  by  modem  science  ?  I  have  seen  a 
number  of  men  taken  promiscuously  from  a  large  auditory  of  a 
refined  city  upon  the  public  platform,  and  there,  after  a  few  ef- 
forts, put  so  completely  under  the  control  of  the  operator,  as  to 
feel,  think,  and  act  Just  as  he  willed,  and  that,  too,  while  entirely 
awake,  and  otherwise,  apparently,  in  their  normal  condition.  He 
would  make  them  believe  a  stick  was  a  snake ;  water  was  vinegar, 
coSee,  or  alcohol,  and  followed  with  its  effects ;  that  a  handker- 
chief placed  in  their  arms  was  a  baby,  and  they  would  caress  it, 
and  try  to  quiet  it,  —  made  to  believe  it  crying,  —  in  the  most  lu- 
dicrous manner,  being  mostly  young  men  unused  to  such  opera- 


THE    UXSEALED   BOOK.  165 

tions;  that  it  was  very  cold,  drawing  their  cloaks  around  them- 
selves ;  or  that  it  was  very  hot,  throwing  off  their  coats  before  a 
large  public  gaze,  to  which  they  seemed  wholly  oblivious.  I  saw 
this  operator,  after  having  about  a  dozen  men,  all  strangers  to 
him,  and  well-known  citizens,  under  his  control  for  several  suc- 
cessive evenings,  —  for  the  more  he  practises  upon  them,  tlie 
more  perfect  becomes  his  control,  —  take  them  all  through  a  trip 
to  California  and  back  as  follows  :  First,  they  get  aboard  the  ship; 
then  the  vessel,  out  to  sea,  goes  to  pieces  in  a  violent  storm,  and 
they  betake  themselves  to  the  small  life-boat,  some  getting  in 
from  out  of  the  water ;  and  you  must  bear  in  mind  that  all  these 
scenes  are  acted  out  to  tlie  life,  and  by  those  who  never  appeared 
before  the  public  gaze  until  now, —  climbing  over  the  gunwales, 
into  the  boat ;  their  terrible  condition  after  drifting  for  several 
days  on  mid-ocean  without  food  or  water;  their  agreement  to 
draw  lots  who  should  die  to  furnish  these  necessities  for  the  bal- 
ance. After  straining  their  eyes  so  long  around  the  cheerless 
horizon  for  help,  tliey  descry  at  last  a  sail  in  the  distance ;  they 
wave  their  handkerchiefs,  and  even  their  garments,  in  their  effort 
to  catch  the  notice  of  the  passing  vessel ;  but  she  passes  without  ob- 
serving them;  now  all  hope,  has  fled;  they  become  frantic  and 
furious;  the  scene  is  appalling;  but  see!  another  vessel  heaves 
in  sight;  she  nears  them,  she  sees  them,  she  comes  to  them,  she 
rescues  them,  she  takes  them  on  board  and  saves  them.  This 
whole  scene,  as  you  may  imagine,  was  truly  interesting.  They 
arrive  at  San  Francisco,  at  the  gold  mines  ;  they  dig  gold  ;  they 
return  home,  some  with  S  2,000,  some  I  5,000,  some  with  $  10,000 
in  gold.  Some  intend  to  invest  in  Texas  lands,  some  in  mercan- 
tile business,  one  a  telegraph  line  (being  a  telegraph  operator  him- 
self). 

They  sell  their  gold  to  the  operator  and  take  his  checks  on  the 
bank,  indorsed  by  tlic  names  of  good  men,  whom  they  individu- 
ally select  from  the  community  ;  these  cliecks  are  mere  scraps  of 
old  newspaper,  which  they  are  made  to  believe  valid  checks ;  it  is 
past  bank  hours,  they  go  to  the  bank  and  find  it  closed ;  they  wait 
until  next  day.  During  the  evening  and  following  morning, 
their  friends,  with  the  previously  expressed  permission  of  the  op 
erator,  try  to  convince  them  that  their  checks  are  worthless  scraps 
of  paper,  and  laugli  at  their  delusion,  but  with  no  success;  they 
reply  familiarly, '  You  can't  fool  me,  I  know  my  indorser,  and  the 


O' 


166  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

check  will  be  paid  on  i^resentation  iu  the  morning,'  etc.  Before 
bank  opens,  they  are  at  the  door  waiting  with  impatience,  a  large 
crowd  of  citizens  also  witnessing  with  great  interest  the  whole 
proceeding.  At  length  the  bank  doors  open ;  they  rnsh  in  and 
present  their  checks,  the  cashier  takes  them,  looks  at  them  and 
says  they  are  not  checks ;  they  insist  that  they  are  true  checks, 
properly  indorsed,  etc.  ;  the  cashier  assures  them  they  are  worth- 
less scraps  of  old  paper,  and  cannot  be  cashed;  disappointed,  they 
hurry  to  the  hotel  to  find  Mr.  Operator,  who  had  got  their  gold ; 
were  told  there  that  he  was  in  the  court-house,  followed  all  the 
while  by  a  large  crowd ;  in  the  court-house  they  find  Mr.  Opera- 
tor, who,  expecting  them  in  their  wrath,  had  taken  the  precaution 
to  have  the  police  around  him  for  his  apparent  protection;  they 
report  to  him  the  bank's  refusal,  and  demand  their  gold  back ; 
he  tells  them  he  has  not  got  it ;  they  threaten  his  life  if  he  does 
not  refund  it ;  the  sheriff  has  to  pacify  them  by  holding  himself 
responsible  for  his  safe  custody ;  they  employ  lawyers  for  imme- 
diate suit,  the  court-house  during  the  while  crowded,  and  finally, 
amidst  the  greatest  excitement,  the  operator  dispels  the  illusion 
with  which  he  had  them  invested,  since  the  day  before,  and  in 
the  greatest  mortification  and  disappointment  they  hide  them- 
selves, run  away,  scamper  off  with  shame.  Now  if  all  this  be 
time,  and  we  have  no  right  to  question  the  truth  of  those  men, 
nor  to  doubt  what  we  saw  and  heard,  though  it  has  always  seemed 
strange  to  me  that  the  cashier  could  have  convinced  or  rather 
turned  them  when  their  friends  could  not  convince  them ;  but 
may  be  the  operator  willed  them  to  be  thus  turned ;  but  then 
how  did  he,  entirely  out  of  sight,  know  the  time  to  thus  exert  his 
will  when  the  cashier  refused  ?  In  justice  to  my  philosophy, 
however,  I  should  state  that,  notwithstanding  these  natural  sus- 
picions, the  fact  of  this  psychologic  influence  and  control  is 
undeniably  established ;  Dr.  Dods,  in  his  lectures  invited  by  Henry 
Clary,  Webster,  and  others,  at  the  national  capitol,  having  demon- 
strated this  mystic  agency  to  some  of  the  finest  intellects  of 
the  land,  and  upon  any  one  who  chose  to  submit  to  the  test.  In 
view  of  all  this  I  say,  what  a  wonderful  principle  of  the  human 
mind  is  here  developed  and  exhibited!  This  operator  would  also 
make  them  assume  instanter,  the  most  grotesque  attitudes  with 
the  rigidity  of  stone,  often  in  imitation  of  antique  statuary,  and 
strong  men  called  from  the  crowd  could  not  bend  them.     Strange 


THE   UNSEALED  BOOK.  167 

indeed,  and  new  to  liistory,  that  one  man  can  thus  influence  and 
control  others,  through  the  intervening,  all-pervading,  mysterious 
medium  of  electricity  or  nerve  aura.  And  numerous  instances 
are  known  of  persons  in  the  clairvoyant  condition  who  can  see 
other  persons,  and  read  their  minds  when  in  rapport  with  each 
other,  at  the  distance  of  many  miles  or  hundreds  of  miles ;  an- 
other phase  of  this  wonderful  principle,  and  illustration  of  this 
all-pervading  and  universal  mental  medium  of  electro-ether.  Dr. 
Dods  says,  there  is  about  one  in  twenty-five  naturally  in  the  psy- 
chological condition,  and  that  all  may  be  brought  into  it  by 
repeated  efforts,  and  by  any  one  who  will  persevere.  It  all  proves 
the  universal  existence  of  this  mysterious,  hitherto  unknown 
agent,  or  element,  or  essence,  by  which  and  through  which  mind 
acts  upon  mind ;  in  a  word,  it  proves  the  universal  medium  of 
mind,  and  I  ask  you  to  remember  this,  when  I  come  to  explain 
the  spiritual  philosophy,  for  it  is  illustrative  of  the  latter."  — 
Rembert. 

Again,  we  would  ask  you  if  any  greater  miracles  than  these 
seeming  ones  have  ever  been  recorded  ?  If  so,  we  have  not  seen 
them.  Aside  from  those  we  have  already  cited,  showing  the  sim- 
ilarity to  workings  of  spirit  power  at  the  present  day,  there  is  not 
one  on  record  performed  by  Jesus  or  his  apostles  that  would  not 
come  under  the  head  of  this  electrical  philosophy.  And  many 
from  the  Old  Testament  the  same,  as  Aaron's  rod  changed,  —  bud- 
ded; the  waters  sweetened, —  turned  to  blood;  and  numerous 
others.  As  for  the  sun  going  back,  or  the  sun  and  moon  standing 
still,  we  have  no  idea  that  any  such  remarkable  phenomena  ever 
occurred,  except  in  the  brain  of  unfortunate  ignorance.  We  know 
not  whether  Jonah  swallowed  the  whale,  or  whether  the  whale 
swallowed  Jonah,  but  are  inclined  to  doubt  the  whole  transaction, 
except  as  a  figurative  form  of  speech,  Jesus  himself  having  said 
Jonah  was  a  "  sign  unto  the  Ninevitcs,"  and  at  the  same  time  and 
place  rebuking  the  scribes  and  Pharisees  as  blind  guides  who 
*'  strain  at  a  gnat  and  swallow  a  camel." 

''  Rev.  Mr.  Mahou, '  the  intellectual  giant,'  says, '  Every  reader 
will  agree  with  us  in  the  assumption  that  the  incorruptible  God 
has  never  performed,  and  never  will  perform  a  miracle  in  attesta- 
tion of  that  Avhich  is  unreal  or  untrue.  A  religion  really  and 
truly  attested  by  divine  miracles  must,  therefore,  be  admitted  to 
be  true.'    To  which  shallow  subterfuge,  Prof.  Hare  replies,  *  To 


.168  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

this  very  admissible  truism,  I  add  that  an  omnipotent  and  pres- 
cient God  could  not  have  any  occasion  to  perform  miracles  in 
attestation  of  anything,  since,  by  the  premises,  his  will  must  be 
carried  out  without  miracles.  That  anything  should,  even  for  an 
instant,  be  contrary  to  his  will,  is  inconsistent  with  his  foresight 
and  omnipotency.  It  would  be  a  miracle  that  anything  counter 
to  his  will  should  exist.' 

The  next  postulate  of  Mr.  Mahon,  '  No  religion  attested  as  true 
by  divine  miracles  can  be  false  ! '  Was  this  proposition  ever  im- 
pugned ?  No  one  could  resist  the  unquestionable  dictates  of 
God,  however  conveyed,  whether  by  miracle  or  any  other  means. 
The  question  is  not  whether  a  religion  attested  by  divine  miracles 
should  be  accredited,  but  whether  there  were  ever  any  miracles, 
attesting  any  religion,  performed ;  and,  if  so,  what  religion  has 
the  peculiar  merit  of  having  been  thus  attested  ? 

Millions  who  believe  in  other  religions  deride  those  miracles  of 
revelation  which  Mr.  Mahon  would  adduce ;  and  Protestants  do 
not  admit  many  which  the  Romish  Church  sanctions.  For  one,  I 
deny  that  any  miracle  has  ever  been  performed,  with  the  view  of 
attesting  any  religion  whatever.  No  miracle  could  be  necessary 
to  attest  the  will  of  omnipotence,  any  more  than  to  enable  a  man 
to  wave  his  hand.  But  admitting  that  it  ever  has  been  necessary, 
no  miracle  has  ever  been  resorted  to  for  the  purpose  in  question, 
since  none  has  answered  the  desired  end.  This  would  not  have 
been  the  case,  had  miracles  been  resorted  to  by  prescient  omnipo- 
tence. There  can  be  nothing  supernatural  or  infranatural, — 
nothing  beyond,  above,  below,  or  apart  from  his  organic  laws. 
They  constitute  the  wisdom,  the  power,  ay,  the  very  God;  and  to 
violate  these  would  be  to  violate  himself,  which  is  impossible  and 
simply  absurd." 

We  will  now  give  some  further  testimony  in  regard  to  the  Bible, 
its  authority  and  teachings,  as  interpreted  by  us,  with  a  view  to 
impress  upon  the  minds  of  our  readers  the  importance  of  think- 
ing, reasoning,  and  judging  for  themselves  individually,  the  reli- 
ability to  be  placed  upon  them  as  a  whole.  As  for  ourselves, 
while  we  believe,  receive,  hold  fast,  and  admire  its  beautiful  truths 
and  blessed  assitrances  of  immortality,  as  brought  to  light  by  our 
Saviour's  holy  life  and  heavenly  teachings,  we  candidly  confess 
that  this  ancient  book  of  inspired  writings  is,  in  our  eyes,  no 
more  "  sacred  "  than  are  scores  of  books  containing  inspired  writ- 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  169 

ings  of  the  present  age,  and  untainted  with  the  low  verbiage  and 
Bensuousness  of  the  nnprogressed  early  writers. 

"  The  word  '  Bible '  is  from  the  Greek  hihlos,  originally  soft-bark, 
which  the  ancients  used  to  write  upon,  and  means  book.  The 
term  'holy'  was  prefixed  by  the  Jews,  to  express  excellence. 
Hence  '  holy  bible '  literally  means,  in  the  original,  excellent  soft- 
bark.  The  books  comprising  the  Old  Testament  were  written 
upon  soft-bark,  palm-leaves,  impressible  stones,  etc.  There  were 
many  more  than  are  now  preserved  and  acknowledged  at  the 
present  day,  as  '  Wars  of  the  Lord,'  '  Book  of  Jasher,'  '  Acts  of 
Solomon,'  '  Visions  of  Iddo  the  Seer,'  etc.  The  manuscripts  of 
the  New  Testament,  with  many  more,  were  collected  three  hun- 
dred years  after  Christ.  According  to  Mosheim,  who  is  high, 
standard  authority  in  the  Church,  '  Not  long  after  Christ's  as- 
cension into  heaven,  several  histories  of  his  life  and  doctrines,  full 
of  pious  frauds  and  fabulous  wonders,  were  composed  by  persons 
whose  intentions,  perhaps,  were  not  bad,  but  whose  writings  dis- 
covered the  greatest  superstition  and  ignorance.  According  to 
the  Unitarian  new  version,  there  were  in  these  manuscripts  up- 
wards of  130,000  readings.'  Such  was  the  idolatrous  adulation 
paid  to  the  authority  of  Origen,  who  was  the  origin  of  the  present 
fashion  of  preaching  from  a  text,  and  whose  superstition  drove 
him  to  commit  self-mutilation  of  such  ruinous  character  as  to  re- 
sult in  emasculation  of  mental  vigor  as  well,  that  emendations  of 
the  text,  which  were  but  suggested  by  him,  were  taken  in  as  a 
part  of  the  New  Testament,  though  he  himself  acknowledged  they 
were  supported  by  the  authority  of  no  manuscrii)t  whatever. 
Lanfranc,  Archibishop  of  Canterbury,  made  many  alterations  for 
the  avowed  purpose  of  accommodating  them  to  the  faitli  of  the 
orthodox.  In  the  year  50G,  '  the  illustrious  Mersala,  being  con- 
sul by  the  command  of  the  Emperor  Anastasius,  the  holy  gos- 
pels, as  having  been  written  by  idiot  evangelists,  arc  censured 
and  corrected.'  According  to  Davis  and  other  authors,  2,048 
bishoj)s  assembled  at  Nice  in  the  year  325,  under  command  of 
the  Emperor  Constantino.  During  their  pious  deliberations,  they 
became  so  vociferous,  obstreperous,  and  violent  towards  each 
other,  that  Constantino  disqualified  1730  from  having  a  vote  in 
deciding  which  books  were  and  which  were  not  the  word  of  God. 
The  318  left  pronounced  the  books  which  subsequently  composed 
the  Bible  to  bo  the  word  of  God.    Since  then,  however,  several 


170  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

books  have  been  rejected,  such  as  the  *  Gospel  of  the  Egyptians/ 
'  Gospel  of  the  Hebrews,'  the  '  Gospel  of  Perfection,'  '  Gospel  of 
Barnabas,'  '  Epistle  of  Clemens  Eomanus,'  of  '  Ignatius,'  of  '  Poly- 
carps,'  etc.,  '  Shepherds  of  Hermas,' '  Eevelation  of  Paul,'  '  Acts 
of  Peter,'  '  Epistle  of  Christ,'  etc.  Out  of  fifty  gospels  then  ex- 
tant, they  only  retained  Matthew,  Mark,  Luke,  and  John,  the 
balance,  some  well  written,  were  committed  to  the  flames ;  while 
the  books  of  James,  Jude,  and  the  Apocalypse  were  eutii-ely  re- 
jected. The  Emperor  then  sanctioned  their  decision,  and  ordered 
the  Bible,  as  then  canonized,  to  be  received  as  the  word  of  God. 
After  this,  ecclesiastical  councils  were  frequently  called,  and  as 
frequently  annulled  the  decisions  of  each  other,  until  the  year 
633,  at  the  council  of  Toledo,  the  rejected  books  of  James,  Jude, 
and  Eevelation  of  St.  John  were  incorporated  into  the  several 
canons. 

There  is  a  growing  doubt  and  disbelief  in  the  miraculous 
phase  of  the  Bible  religion,  particularly  among  the  intelligent  and 
scientific.  Indeed,  the  materialistic  philosophy,  to  wit,  that  spirit 
is  the  result  of  material  organism  and  j)erishes  with  it,  is  rapidly 
deracinating  the  old  Christian  faith.  And  where  's  the  wonder? 
What  truly  scientific  man  can  swallow  whole  —  to  use  a  common 
but  expressive  phrase  —  that  mythic  old  book,  with  all  its  crudities, 
cruelties,  and  absurdities  ?  I  don't  mean  the  cardinal  truths  of 
man's  immortality,  the  conditions  of  future  reward  and  punish- 
ment, love,  truth,  peace,  charity,  spirit  communion,  etc.,  as  in- 
culcated by  Jesus,  as  founded  in  philosophy  and  approved  by 
science  :  but  all  that  vast  mass  of  animal  rubbish,  historic  false- 
hood, talmudic  fable,  and  mythic  superstition.  Let  me  cite  a  few 
out  of  the  mass  of  these  fables,  contradictions,  absurdities,  and 
bloody  edicts;  it  dates  the  creation  5,866  years  ago:  whereas  we 
know,  from  geological  facts,  that  this  length  of  time  would  not 
fill  up  the  smallest  period  in  the  successive  epochs  of  creation. 
It  says  light  was  created  the  first  day,  and  the  sun  on  the  fourth 
day.  The  Jews  were  represented  to  be  a  pastoral  and  predial  peo- 
ple, the  most  fickle,  unstable,  and  capricious,  always  seeking  after 
strange  gods  :  Whereas  all  other  history  and  our  own  observation 
make  them  just  the  reverse,  a  commercial  people,  the  most  stable, 
stubborn,  tenacious,  and  pertinacious  on  earth :  in  fact,  this  is 
their  predominating  characteristic ;  the  old  Bible  defender  can't 
controvert  or  clear  away  this  inconsistency ;  he  can  only  say  the 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  171 

Jewish  character  has  changed  ;  hut  that  will  invalidate  one  of  his 
main  arguments  in  support  of  the  Bible,  for  the  Jews  are  appealed 
to  as  standing  immobile  monuments  of  its  truth;  but  if  they 
have  been  changed  by  the  curse,  the  curse  has  proved  a  blessing, 
for  it  has  riveted  them  to  the  one  living  God,  instead  of  roving 
after  their  many  idols,  as  in  the  days  of  Moses.  In  the  first  chap- 
ter of  Genesis  after  He  had  finished  the  creation  of  the  w^orld  and 
man.  He  pronounced  them  '  very  good ' ;  yet  in  the  sixth  chapter, 
He  repented  having  made  man :  and  St.  James  says,  He  '  is  with- 
out variablensss  or  shadow  of  turning.'  It  pronounces  a  curse 
through  all  time  upon  the  whole  maternal  portion  of  the  whole 
human  family,  but  science  has  negated  this  prophecy,  and  dis- 
armed the  cruel  curse  of  rending  racking  pains  and  throes,  and 
every  mother  should  thank  Drs.  Morton  and  Jackson  for  chloro- 
form. I  was  just  about  to  predict,  but  as  quickly  remember,  that 
the  would-be  prediction  is  already  history,  to  wit,  the  use  of  this 
or  any  other  aneesthetic  agent  for  this  special  purpose  will  be  de- 
nounced by  the  ignorant  bigot  as  subverting  God's  law  in  this 
behalf,  pronouncing  a  special  curse  on  woman,  inasmuch  as  she 
was  the  first  who  brought  death  into  the  world,  and  all  our  woe  ; 
I  have  already  heard  this  denunciation. 

The  Christian  Prof.  Hitchcock  says,  '  The  introduction  of  death 
into  the  world,  and  the  specific  character  of  that  death  described 
in  Scripture  as  the  consequence  of  sin,  are  the  next  points  where 
geology  touches  the  subject  of  religion;  here,  too,  the  general  in- 
terpretation of  Scripture  is  at  variance  with  the  facts  of  geology, 
which  distinctly  testify  to  the  occurrence  of  death  among  animals 
long  before  the  existence  of  man;  shall  geology  here  also  be  per- 
mitted to  modify  our  exposition  of  the  Bible  ? '  Again :  '  It  is  now 
generally  agreed  that  geology  cannot  detect  traces  of  such  a  del- 
uge as  the  Scriptures  describe,'  etc. 

The  old  dispensation,  which  men  yet  worship  as  the  insi)iratiou 
of  God,  inculcates  cruelty,  murder,  treachery,  and  all  manner  of 
the  blackest  turpitude  known  in  the  calandar  of  crime;  and  all 
connived  at,  and  even  approved,  under  the  direct  sanction  and 
even  instruction  of  their  God  :  instance  the  stoning  to  death  by 
the  Jews  of  their  children  for  disobedience  the  massacre  of  the 
whole  nation  of  the  Midianites,  with  the  reservation  of  the  virgins, 
for  violation  by  the  bloody  murderers  of  their  kindred  ;  the  out- 
rageous frauds  and  deceptions  on  the  part  of  Jacob ;  swindling 


172  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

the  Egj^tians,  by  borrowing  their  ornaments  with  the  intention 
of  stealing  them.  Saith  Samuel  the  pope  of  Judaea,  '  Now  go  and 
smite  Amalek,  and  utterly  destroy  all  that  they  have,  and  spare 
them  not;  but  slay  both  man  and  woman,  and  infant  and  suck- 
ling,' etc.,  for  a  wrong  done  by  their  ancestors  some  hundred 
years  before.  God  is  truth,  yet  in  1st  Kings  xxii.  he  is  repre- 
sented as  employing  a  lying  spirit  to  allure  and  lead  Ahab  through 
lies  to  his  certain  destruction ;  thus  proving  by  Bible  authority, 
that  there  are  lying  spirits,  which  I  have  no  doubt  is  true ;  and 
that  God  sanctions  lying,  which  I've  no  doubt  is  7iot  true.  Com- 
pare the  holy  Moses  as  lawgiver  and  exemplar  of  morality,  with 
the  pagan  Solon  ;  and  the  Christian  Abraham  with  the  ethnic 
Eoman  Virginius,  especially  in  reference  to  their  treatment  of, 
and  conception  of  the  chastity  and  purity  of  their  wives  and 
daughters ;  and  yet  Abraham  is  said  to  be  the  father  of  the  faith- 
ful. David,  the  great  king,  and  sweet  singer  in  Israel,  author  of 
the  Psalms,  was  an  adulterer,  a  polygamist,  and  a  murderer: 
though  the  high  moral  tone  of  some  of  his  latest  productions  de- 
serves commendation,  and  indicate  decided  reformation.  [Note 
if  you  please,  throughout  his  writings,  his  constantly  recurring 
prayer  to  God  for  vengeance,  destruction,  and  all  manner  of  evil, 
to  be  recompensed  upon  his  enemies,  with  repeated  avowals  of  the 
intense  hatred  he  bore  them.]  Solomon,  author  of  Ecclesiastes 
and  Proverbs,  was  also  an  adulterer,  sensualist,  and  polygamist, 
and  his  canonized  song  is  a  disgusting  specimen  of  concupiscence, 
sensuality,  and  obscenity;  and  even  Mary  Magdalene,  according 
to  some  biblical  critics,  was  not  smis  reproacli ;  but  if  such  be  the 
fact,  I  am  satisfied  she  thoroughly  repented  and  reformed,  before, 
or  when  she  became  so  devoted  a  disciple  of  the  pure-minded  and 
virtuous  Jesus. 

Josephus  speaks  of  prominent  and  patriotic  Israelites,  Corah, 
Zimri,  and  others,  publicly  denouncing  Moses  as  a  usurper,  and 
ambitious  despot.  It  is  also  said  in  the  Bible,  that  God  tempted 
Abraham ;  St.  James  says,  God  tempts  no  man.  It  says  Moses 
and  the  seventy  elders  saw  God,  who  appeared  also  to  Abimelech ; 
St.  John  and  St.  Paul  both  say,  no  man  hath  seen  God.  The 
old  Bible  commands  that  'there  shalfnot  be  found  among  them 
one  who  consulteth  familiar  spirits,'  which  has  been  quoted  against 
spiritualism  by  its  orthodox  opponents,  in  direct  contradiction  to 
the  injunction  in  Kings  just  cited.     And  St.  Paul,  St.  John,  et  al, 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  173 

of  the  New  Testament,  command  us  to  '  desire  spiritual  gifts,'  '  try 
the  spirits,'  'quench  not  the  spirit,'  that  we  'shall  see  the  angels 
ascend  and  descend  ' ;  that  '  the  gods  come  to  us  in  the  form  of 
man,'  etc.  Solomon  says,  '  men  and  beasts  have  one  breath ' ;  '  as 
one  dieth,  so  dieth  the  other,  —  all  things  come  alike  to  all ;  there 
is  one  event  to  the  righteous,  and  to  the  wicked.'  It  also  says, 
there  is  nothing  new  under  the  sun;  yet  it  says,  the  rainbow  is  a 
new  creation,  hung  out  as  a  sign  that  there  shall  be  no  more  flood. 
It  says,  what  has  been,  shall  be  again ;  yet  it  also  says,  there  shall 
never  be  another  flood.  Even  Jesus  is  represented  as  saying, 
*  Suppose  ye  that  I  am  come  to  give  peace  on  earth  ?  I  tell  you 
nay ;  but  rather  division.  I  am  not  come  to  send  peace,  but  a 
sword.  For  I  come  to  set  a  man  at  variance  against  his  father, 
daughter,  son,'  etc.,  which  has  proved  literally  and  terribly  too 
true.  And  then  his  utterances  to  the  very  contrary,  which  are 
truly  worthy  of  inspiration.  But  who  follows  them  ?  Who  takes 
no  thought  for  the  morrow,  what  he  shall  eat  or  wear  ?  Who, 
when  asked  for  one,  gives  two ;  when  smitten  on  one  cheek,  turns 
the  other ;  loves  his  enemies ;  never  resents  an  injury;  loves  his 
neighbor  as  himself ;  returns  good  for  evil;  and  bears  all  indigni- 
ties and  wrongs  without  resentment,  but  with  meekness,  forgive- 
ness, and  charity?  Not  one.  They,  his  followers,  rely  alone 
upon  the  unreliable  myth  of  futile  faith.  And  can  it  be  for  a 
moment  believed,  that  a  good  and  gracious  God  would  poise  an 
endless  heaven  and  an  endless  hell,  for  his  children,  upon  the  mere 
fact  or  act  of  their  faith  ? 

Faith,  and  all  her  credulous  children,  have,  for  a  long  time, 
been  preaching  up  a  doctrine  that  there  are  two  other  countries 
with  certain  fruits,  away  off  in  the  dim  distance  of  hereafter.  One 
of  said  places  is  on  the  other  side  of  Jordan,  through  whose  bois- 
terous waters,  they  say,  we  have  to  pass,  in  order  to  reach  it;  the 
home  of  Abraham  and  Sarai.  The  other  country,  some  say,  is 
across  the  river  Styx,  the  regions  of  Pluto  and  Proserpine.  Both 
these  places  bear  peculiar  fruits.  True,  no  one  of  them  has  ever 
seen  these  places,  or  tasted  their  fruits,  but  then,  quoth  they,  it  is 
all  just  so,  because  it  is  so.  And  of  all  their  millions  that  have 
passed  that  way,  not  one  has  ever  returned  and  reported.  Tlic 
said  children  of  earth  adopt  certain  manners;  and  they  vary 
much  in  the  manner  of  these  manners,  the  main  one  of  which 
is  faith,  faith,  that  is,  to  believe  it  all,  and  nothing  else.    And  what 


174  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

do  they  believe  ?  They  believe  what  the  Church  believes ;  and 
what  does  the  Church  believe  ?  It  believes  what  they  believe ; 
and  what  do  they  and  the  Church  together  believe  ?  They  both 
believe  the  same  thing !  Some  say,  that  in  order  to  escape  this 
terrible  Styx,  and  reach  the  blessed  banks  that  loom  up  on  the 
other  side  of  Jordan,  you  must  take  water  (immersion) ;  others, 
that  you  must  go  through  rain  (sprinkling) ;  some,  again,  that 
you  can't  go  at  all  by  yourself,  but  must  be  perched  on  the  back 
of  a  priest ;  that  he  alone  can  put  us  through  safe ;  and  still  oth- 
ers, that  your  heart  has  to  be  radically  changed  by  a  special  fiat 
of  the  reigning  Jehovah,  from  his  distant  throne  on  the  apex  of 
the  universe.  There  is  also  another  class,  who  preach  that  some, 
and  far  the  greater  number,  will  land  across  Styx  in  utter  dark- 
ness, in  spite  of  faith  or  anything  else ;  that  the  Creator  has  so 
decreed  it  before  the  first  block  was  laid  for  the  temple  of  crea- 
tion ;  and  that  a  select  few  will  be,  by  the  same  decree,  safely 
landed  across  Jordan,  in  spite  of  will  or  wish,  why  or  where- 
fore. 

In  short,  some  preach  universal  salvation,  but  practise  nothing 
to  prove  it ;  while  others  preach  almost  as  universal  damnation, 
and  prove  their  preaching  by  their  practice. 

Now  it  came  to  pass,  at  this  conjuncture,  that  Truth  lent  her 
light,  and  science  was  enabled  to  lead  a  straight  track  to  this 
great  unknown  hereafter,  and  prove  positively,  by  those  laws  and 
workings  of  nature's  Creator,  which  she  had  already  known,  that 
it  is  not  dim  and  distant,  but  bright  and  near  at  hand  ;  not  mys- 
terious and  inexplicable,  but  natural  and  philosophical ;  that  it  is 
not  a  myth,  but  a  truth  ;  that  there  is  no  sulphurous  Styx,  nor 
lutarious  Jordan,  to  ingulf  forever  the  majority  of  mortals ;  that 
there  are  not  different  and  diverse  roads,  nor  cold  creeds,  nor  hot 
hells,  nor  formal  faiths  of  human  dogmas ;  but  one  natural, 
straight,  clear,  unchanging  track,  through  which  all  earth's  chil- 
dren easily  pass  into  its  portals ;  and  to  crown  it  all,  the  ration- 
ale of  the  whole  trip  is  explained  and  proven  on  the  known  prin- 
ciples of  immutable  philosophy. 

But  if  Jesus  intended  those  pure  precepts  already  enumerated 
to  be  practised  by  his  followers  alone,  —  and  without  extra  pre- 
tension as  a  philologist,  by  every  principle  of  hermeneutics,  we 
are  so  to  understand  them,  —  what  would  be  the  result  to  them 
individually  and  collectively  ?     Immediate  ruin  manifestly  to 


THE   UNSEALED  BOOK.  175 

every  one,  and  all  of  them.  On  the  other  hand,  if  he  intended 
them  for  the  whole  human  family,  and  they  should  be  thus  uni- 
versally practised,  they  then  become  in  theory  a  splendid  system 
of  ethics,  worthy  of  their  illustrious  author. 

Jesus  also  says  to  Peter,  '  Thou  art  the  rock  on  which  I  build 
my  church ' ;  and  after  a  few  minutes  again,  '  Get  thee  behind 
me,  Satan,  thou  art  an  offence  to  me.'  The  old  Roman  law,  if  I 
recollect  rightly,  required  two  witnesses  to  substantiate  the  alle- 
gations of  a  party ;  Jesus,  alluding  to  this,  offers  himself  as  one  of 
the  two  witnesses  to  prove  his  own  affirmations.  Does  this  not 
indicate  weakness,  or  at  least  human  fallibility  ?  It  frequently 
inculcates,  and  it  is  the  general  interpretation  of  both  Jew  and 
Christian,  with  some  modern  exceptions,  that  future  punishment 
is  everlasting,  yet  we  find  the  contrary  taught  in  Isa.  Ivii.  16 ; 
Rom.  viii.  21 ;  1st  Cor.  xv.  22 ;  Phil.  ii.  9 ;  Col.  i.  20 ;  1st  Tim.  ii. 
1 ;  Rev.  xxi.  And  the  Christ  himself  says,  '  And  I,  if  I  be  lifted 
up  from  the  earth,  will  draw  all  men  after  me ' ;  and  the  same 
Christ  says  in  Matt,  xxv.,  '  The  wicked  shall  go  into  everlasting 
punishment,  and  the  righteous  into  life  eternal.'  But  in  Judc  the 
word  '  everlasting' is  used  to  last  only  until  the  judgment,  the 
great  assize.  John  the  Baptist  proclaimed  the  Messiah  immedi- 
ately on  his  advent ;  yet  when  in  prison,  near  the  end  of  his  career, 
he  sent  two  of  his  disciples  to  ask  Jesus  and  ascertain  if  he  was 
the  Messiah.  Jesus  says,  '  He  that  is  not  against  us  is  for  us,'  and 
*  he  that  is  not  with  me  is  against  me.'  And  again  in  Matthew  x. 
6,  Jesus  commands  his  apostles  to  '  go  not  into  the  way  of  the 
Gentiles,  nor  the  Samaritans,'  etc.;  and  in  Matthew  xxvii.  19,  he 
tells  them  to  'go  into  all  nations,'  etc.  How  can  the  atrabiliary 
devotee  of  incarnated  Deity,  God,  manifest  in  the  flesh,  as  they 
call  it,  reconcile  these  flat  contradictions  ?  How  could  Jesus  be 
of  the  lineage  of  David,  when  Joseph,  said  to  be  of  this  line,  is 
represented  not  to  be  his  father,  though  the  husband  of  his 
mother,  who  Avas  also  not  of  this  house  ?  As  a  specimen  of  the 
loose  and  unreliable  relations  of  the  gospel  writers,  and  tbcir 
many  discrepancies  and  incongruities,  the  locality  of  the  denun- 
ciations against  the  Pharisees  and  Saducees  is  given  in  Galilee, 
when  they  would  be  appropriate  alone  to  Jerusalem,  as  these  sects 
flourished  there  instead  of  Galilee.  And  so  on  throughout  this 
great  chapter  of  biblical  religion,  which  men  venerate  and  worship 
as  the  direct  inspiration  and  miraculous  dictation  of  the  great 


176  THE   UNSEALEP   BOOK. 

God  in  person,  as  the  infallible  and  immaculate  oracles  of  our 
heavenly  Father.  In  charity,  however,  if  not  justice,  it  is  my 
duty  to  state,  that  many  of  those  who  pretend  to  preach  and  ex- 
pound this  thaumaturgical  book,  have  never  read,  much  less 
studied  it  through  entire;  and  a  large  majority  of  those  who  be- 
lieve and  follow  will  confess  that  they  have  never  read  it  through 
and  of  course  never  pretended  to  study  it.  This  is  in  extenua- 
tion of  their  erring  judgment,  not  of  their  presumption. 

Among  the  many  theories  invented  to  crush  out  this  sublime 
science  by  which  every  man  can  learn  and  see  for  himself  the  pos- 
itive demonstration  of  his  own  immortality  with  all  his  loved, 
independent  of  hierophantic  oflBciation,  was  first,  that  it  was  pro- 
duced —  I  mean  the  physical  manifestations  —  by  the  snapping  of 
the  knee  and  toe  joints.  This  was  ridiculous.  Then  next  came 
the  theory  that  it  was  all  produced  by  the  brain  centres  and  nerve 
centres  of  minds  in  the  body.  This  was  more  philosophical;  but 
they  were  both  soon  abandoned.  Next  arose  the  'pine-table' 
epoch,  originating  in  the  Puritanical,  fanatical,  hypocritical,  for 
they  are  all  inseparable  if  not  synonymous,  'New  York  Tribune ' 
and  its  kindred  sheets;  but  the  'pine  table'  did  more  than  was 
contracted  for;  it  proved  too  much:  it  turned  to  talking.  It 
was  dropped  as  a  child  drops  a  hot  iron,  iustanter,  and  without 
being  told.  The  Rev.  Mahon  then  entered  the  ring,  but  he  was 
soon  ruled  out  as  doing  the  opposition  mischief,  for  he  acknowl- 
edged the  facts,  but  failed  to  explain  them.  The  learned  Farra- 
day  spoke  from  across  the  water,  and  pronounced  it  the  '  involun- 
tary contraction  and  motion  of  the  muscles  of  the  medium '  ; 
weak  indeed  for  a  savan,  but  his  theory,  too,  soon  expired. 
Anon  appeared  the  great  Bovee  Dods,  with  his  psychological 
theory,  the  'front  brain,  back  brain,'  etc.,  —  the  only  rational 
theory  yet  presented.  Indeed  it  is  through  the  principles  of  ps)'- 
chology  that  spirit  intercourse  is  effected,  the  excarnated  being 
one  party  and  the  incarnated  the  other,  instead  of  both  parties 
being  incarnated ;  and  it  requires  discrimination  to  know  when 
the  manifestations  are  really  from  the  excarnated  spirits  instead 
of  being  a  mere  reflection  of,  or  reflected  image  or  idea  existing 
in  some  other  mind  present  in  the  flesh.  I  now  refer  to  the  liigher 
mental  manifestations,  not  the  physical.  But  Dods  himself  has 
surrendered  his  theory  and  embraced  spiritual  agency;  for  he  has 
witnessed  a  number  of  communications  that  precluded  any  and 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  177 

every  other  liypothesis,  and  established,  in  his  opinion,  excarnatcd 
spirit  intercourse. 

It  is  remarkable  how  rapidly  all  these  various  theories  in  oppo- 
sition to  spirit  agency  have  disappeared ;  and  how,  soon  as  one 
theory  was  advanced,  the  manifestations  immediately  ceased  in 
that  way  and  assumed  another  form  ;  and  so  throughout,  as  fast 
as  new  theories  were  devised  for  their  explanation,  so  fast  they 
assumed  new  phases,  as  if  to  refute  them. 

It  is  now  styled,  I  believe,  by  its  opposers,  an  inexplicable  in- 
tellectual epidemic ;  being  inexplicable  to  them,  it  must  be  incred- 
ible to  all.  Now,  to  the  followers  of  the  Bible,  of  whatever  name 
or  creed,  I  will  prove  in  few  words,  and  by  the  Bible  itself,  that 
modern  Spiritualism  is  true.  The  wise  man  of  the  Bible  in  Ec- 
clesiastes,  the  Preacher,  says,  '  What  has  been  is  what  shall  be ; 
what  has  been  done  shall  be  done  again.'  But  many  and  divers 
manifestations  of  angels,  disembodied  spirits  of  men,  have  been 
made  to  men  in  the  flesh  through  all  the  ages  according  to  Bible 
record  ;  therefore  these  manifestations  must  be  made  again,  and 
modern  Spiritualism  is  true  or  the  Bible  is  false.  This  is  conclu- 
sive, for  it  is  evident  the  rule  was  intended  as  general  for  all  time, 
and  not  restricted  to  the  apostolic  or  any  other  age.  Again,  its 
disciples  say  I  must  take  the  Bible  and  believe  it  all  as  I  find  it, 
and  not  believe  a  part  only,  else  I  am  no  believer  of  the  Bible.  I 
contend  that  I  may  be  a  believer,  and  yet  reject  those  portions 
which  are  evidently  false,  as  the  dogmatic  creeds. 

Now,  I  ask  them  if  they  believe  Joshua  really  stopped  the  sun 
or  the  world ;  they  answer  no.  Hence,  by  their  own  rule,  they 
are  not  Bible  believers  :  but  by  my  rule  I  am  a  believer  in  its  car- 
dinal truths  founded  in  philosophy. 

To  my  Christian  friends  of  liberal  hearts  and  open  minds,  I 
would  say  that  the  evidence  in  favor  of  this  religion  of  philosophy 
is  evidently  more  powerful  and  conclusive  in  character,  kind,  and 
amount  than  that  in  favor  of  the  religion  of  faith.  In  character,. 
because  of  its  direct  living  witnesses  of  the  most  intelligent  and 
estimable  men,  instead  of  deceased,  hearsay,  traditional  testimony 
of  ignorant  men;  in  kind,  because  of  the  scientific  facts,  instead 
of  the  old  mythic  fables  of  miracles  against  known  laws  of  nature ; 
and  in  amount,  because  of  the  living  millions  among  us  uud 
everywhere,  all  attesting  of  their  personal  knowledge  of  the  res 
gestcB  to  the  same  thing.    You  believe  twelve  men  or  twelve  hun- 


178  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

dred  men  if  you  please,  and  ignorant  men,  too,  eighteen  hundred 
years  ago,  whose  testimony  is  contrary  to  all  our  experience  and 
to  nature's  eternal  laws ;  but  you  would  disbelieve  twelve  thou- 
sand men  now  living,  and  enlightened  men  too,  whose  testimony 
is  in  accordance  with  known  laws  of  nature,  and  well  understood 
in  modern  science.  You  say  those  twelve  apostles  of  the  old 
religion  had  no  motive  to  mislead,  but  only  incurred  obloquy  by 
their  course.  N^ow  I  ask  what  motive  have  these  twelve  thousand 
living  apostles  of  the  new  philosophy,  and  don't  you  heap  equal 
obloquy  and  opprobrium  upon  them  ?  Answer  this  to  your  own 
conscience.  Is  this  intelligence,  or  is  it  common  honesty  ?  You 
thus  strain  at  the  gnat  of  philosophy,  and  swallow  the  camel  of 
faith.  Every  principle  of  evidence  and  rule  of  judicial  practice, 
Greenleaf  to  the  contrary,  notwithstanding,  would,  if  strictly  ap- 
plied, invalidate  popular  theology  and  establish  spiritual  philoso- 
phy. It  is  not  the  amount  of  human  testimony  we  rely  upon  in 
favor  of  this  philosophy,  nor  should  you,  my  Christian  friends, 
thus  rely ;  for  we  are  both  greatly  overpowered  by  the  heathen 
and  Mohammedan  in  numbers,  and  fully  equalled  if  not  excelled 
in  devotion ;  it  is  the  irrefragable  demonstrative  evidence,  inde- 
pendent of  human  feelings,  human  fears,  or  human  numbers, 
immutable  and  immaculate.  The  character  of  this  evidence  is  a 
stranger  to  all  other  religions,  and  makes  this  the  religion  of  phi- 
losophy." 

Says  Eev.  Charles  Beecher,  —  a  very  different  man  from  Henry 
Ward,  —  in  his  official  report  on  the  new  spiritual  revela- 
tions :  — 

"  Whenever  odyllic  conditions  are  right,  spirits  can  no  more  be 
repressed  from  communicating,  than  water  from  jetting  through 
the  crevices  of  a  dike. 

"  Whatever  physiological  law  accounts  for  odyllic  phenomena 
in  all  ages  will  in  the  end  inevitably  carry  itself  through  the  Bi- 
ble. Its  prophecies,  ecstasies,  visions,  trances,  theophanies,  ange- 
lophanies,  physiology,  and  anthropology  are  highly  odyllic,  and 
must  be  studied  as  such.  As  such  it  will  be  found  to  har- 
monize with  the  general  principles  of  human  experience  in  such 
matters  in  all  ages.  If  a  theory  be  adopted  everywhere  else  but 
in  the  Bible,  excluding  spiritual  intervention  by  odyllic  channels 
in  toto,  and  accounting  for  everything  physically,  then  will  the 
covers  of  the  Bible  prove  but  pasteboard  barriers.    Such  a  theory 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  179 

will  sweep  its  way  through  the  Bible  and  its  authority  ;  its  plen- 
ary inspirations  will  be  annihilated." 

In  the  language  of  another  :  — 

"  Is  it  likely  that  one  who  has  seen  doors  open  and  shut,  heavy 
substances  move  about,  and  a  human  body  upborne  and  without 
mortal  contrivance  or  effort,  will  believe  less  that  Christ  walked 
on  the  water;  that  an  angel  rolled  away  a  great  stone  from  the 
sepulchre;  or  that  Peter  was  released  from  prison  by  a  spirit? 
Because  one  has  seen  lights  and  appearances  of  flame,  caused  as 
he  verily  believes  by  spirits,  will  he  have  less  faith  that  the  angel 
of  God  manifested  himself  to  Moses  in  a  burning  bush,  or  that 
tongues  of  fire  sat  on  the  apostles  at  the  great  spiritual  manifes- 
tation of  Pentecost  ?  Shall  one  hear  all  manner  of  sounds, 
caused  by  spiritual  agency,  even  to  a  thundering  roar,  which 
shakes  the  whole  house,  and  therefore  grow  more  sceptical  about 
the  thunders  of  Sinai,  or  the  '  great  noise  as  of  a  mighty  rushing 
wind,'  and  shaking  of  the  house  where  the  apostles  prayed  ? 
Shall  one  be  convinced  that  spirits  actually  write  on  paper,  wood, 
and  stone,  with  pencil,  pen,  etc.,  with  their  own  visible  hands, 
and  therefore  have  less  faith  that  a  mighty  angelic  spirit  inscribed 
the  Decalogue  on  tables  of  stone,  and  reached  them  forth  out  of 
a  thick  cloud  to  Moses  ?  or  grow  more  sceptical  at  the  reality  of 
the  handwriting  on  the  wall  at  Belshazzar's  feast?  Will  men 
who  are  sure  they  have  conversed  with  the  spirits  of  departed 
friends  for  hours,  therefore  doubt  whether  Moses  and  Elias  con- 
versed with  Jesus  on  the  mount  ?  Anti-Bible  scepticism  does 
not  thrive  on  such  nourishment,  neither  does  irreligion  or  im- 
morality gain  strength  by  the  moral  and  reformatory  communica- 
tions made  in  connection  with  these  manifestations." 

"  But,  quoth  the  fossiliferous  remains  of  the  ox-cart  ages,  New- 
ton, AVashington,  our  fathers,  all  believed  (we  might  here  suggest 
that  they  noio  believe  in  spirit  communion,  and  have  given  the 
world  unmistakable  evidence  of  the  same),  hence  Ave,  too,  ought 
to  believe  and  follow  them,  as  they  followed  their  fathers,  back  to 
Jacob,  Isaac,  and  Noah.  This  proves  too  much,  if  it  proves  any- 
thing. We  ought  now  to  be  wearing  sandals  instead  of  shoes, 
buskins  instead  of  boots,  fig-leaves  and  bear-skins  instead  of  silk 
dresses  and  broadcloth ;  should  live  in  rustic  idyllic  tents,  instead 
of  marble  modish  residences,  to  practise  the  primitive  art  of  cas- 
trametation,  instead  of  the  elegant  arts  of  palatial  refinement; 


180  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

should  cultivate  the  soil  and  carry  on  commerce  with  the  ox,  in- 
stead of  steam,  viewing  this  last  scientific  innovation  as  a  Satanic 
device  to  subvert  the  providence  of  God ;  should  offer  sacrifices 
of  he-goats  and  bullocks,  to  appease  the  Deity,  who  might  be 
wrathy  with  us;  should  say  our  prayers  to  priests  and  worship 
images  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  who  lived  a  mother  and  died  a  virgin  ( ?). 
But  we  have  deviated  and  departed  from  the  path  of  our  fathers 
in  everything,  even  the  most  sacred  symbols  and  religious  rites : 
for  instance,  before  those  great  iconoclastic  innovators,  Luther 
and  Calvin,  the  bread  and  wine  of  the  eucharist  was  viewed  as  the 
veritable  body  and  blood  of  Christ ;  now  they  are  viewed  by  Prot- 
estants as  merely  typical,  and  the  old,  sacred  transubstantiation 
is  utterly  rejected,  just  as  all  the  old,  sacred  superstitions  will  ulti- 
mately be  rejected  by  future  Protestants,  under  the  light  of  pro- 
gressive science.  And  if  your  old  Revelation  is  from  the  omnis- 
cient God,  as  it  professes  and  you  believe,  why  should  it,  how  can 
it,  have  the  least  inconsistency,  to  say  nothing  of  contradiction 
and  absurdity  ?  Evidently  impossible.  I  tell  you,  my  Christian 
friends,  the  Bible  and  Spiritualism  must  stand  or  fall  together; 
rather,  Spiritualism  may  stand,  can  stand,  will  stand,  indepen- 
dent of  the  Bible  ;  but  the  Bible  cannot  stand  amid  the  bright 
blaze  of  modern  science,  without  the  support  of  Spiritualism." 

We  will  now  discourse  a  little  upon  religious  sects,  doctrines, 
and  creeds,  quoting  mostly  from  Eembert. 

'  This  principle  we  call  '  religion'  was  originally  and  properly 
called  philosophy,  —  literally,  love  of  wisdom,  now  reason,  ration- 
ale of  phenomena,  —  at  a  time  when  it  was  thought  to  be  a  true 
philosophy;  but  after  it  was  found  to  have  no  philosophy  (ap- 
propriately if  not  intentionally),  the  word  '  religion  '  was  adopted, 
and  certainly  with  great  propriety,  as  far,  at  least,  as  the  signili- 
cance  of  the  word. 

The  ancient  priests  of  Egypt,  from  whom  letters  and  civiliza- 
tion have  sprung,  were  men  of  philosophy,  and  entirely  different 
from  the  order  now  designated  as  priests.  The  colleges  of  Thebes, 
Heliopolis,  and  Memphis  were  the  headquarters  of  professional 
and  scientific  men,  and  have  no  sort  of  similitude,  or  even  resem- 
blance to  our  modern  ecclesiastical  institutions.  It  was  from 
these  colleges  the  Greek  schools  derived  their  science.  Pythago- 
ras had  lived  at  Thebes,  Plato  at  Heliopolis,  and  Thales  and  De- 
mocratus  at  Memphis.    Thus  we  have  given  the  prevailing  opin- 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  181 

ions  and  cherished  hopes  of  mankind,  ii^  every  variety,  and  with- 
out regard  to  chronological  order,  extending  over  a  period  of  58G5 
years  (including  the  Mosaic  record),  comprising  billions  of  men, 
down  to  the  present  auspicious  time. 

But  to  this  general  and  popular  sentiment  of  the  human  family, 
which  we  trace  through  all  the  ages,  there  are  many  and  power- 
ful exceptions.  Nationally  the  Huns,  a  numerous  and  warlike 
nation,  who,  under  Attila  and  Alaric,  overran  Southern  Europe, 
according  to  some  historians,  rejected  all  religions,  possessing  and 
professing  none.  Individually,  Julius  Caesar,  as  an  orator  and  a 
writer,  statesman  and  warrior,  one  of  the  most  famous  of  man- 
kind, in  a  celebrated  oration  in  the  Eoman  Senate,  on  the  punish- 
ment of  Lentulus  and  other  Catalinian  conspirators,  advocated 
Incarceration  for  life,  on  the  ground  that  death  is  no  punishment, 
but  rather  a  cessation  from  toil  and  sorrow,  as  well  as  of  joy. 
Napoleon  Bonaparte,  equally  renowned  in  both  civil  and  military 
annals,  was  so  heartily  disgusted  witli  the  simulations  of  the 
clergy,  and  the  hypocrisy  of  all  religions,  that  he  believed  none. 
On  his  narrow  escape  from  the  inflowing  tide  of  the  Red  Sea,  on 
the  spot  where  Pharaoh  perished,  he  exclaimed,  '  If  I  had  perished 
here  like  Pharaoh,  what  a  text  it  would  have  furnished  the  preach- 
ers of  all  Christendom.'  lie  never  uttered  a  greater  truth.  It 
would  have  been  seized  upon  and  heralded  from  the  pulpit  as  a 
grand  providential  specialty  visited  upon  him  for  his  manifold 
transgressions,  and  iniquities,  and  ungodliness,  and  special  pre- 
sumptuousncss,  for  getting  himself  out  safe  from  the  same  sea 
whose  enraged  waters  had  overwhelmed  Pharaoh  and  his  heathen 
host,  by  the  special  mandate  of  the  Almighty.  I  sometimes  more 
than  half  agree  with  Napoleon  and  Ca?sar,  to  the  extent,  at  least, 
that  a  large  portion  of  the  human  family  are  not  worthy  of  an- 
other and  higher  life,  and,  indeed,  do  not  desire  it.  And  Publi- 
us,  Pausanius,  Simonidcs,  Ilobbes,  Hume,  Gibbon,  Bolingbroke, 
Lord  Chatham,  Byron,  Burke,  Voltaire,  Paine,  Franklin,  Jef- 
ferson, and  others  of  great  intellect,  were  infidels,  or  sceptics,  but 
whether  on  the  divine  origin  or  of  the  Talmud,  or  Taugum,  or 
Bible,  or  Koran,  or  Veda,  or  Edda,  or  Sastra,  or  Geeta,  or  on  the 
immortality  of  the  soul,  I  do  not  know,  not  having  studied,  nor 
even  read  them.  Indeed,  I  never  read  an  infidel  author  in  my 
life,  my  information  on  this  subject  being  derived  from  religious 
and  miscellaneous  reading  of  late  scientific  works.    And  in  the 


182  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

living  age,  I  am  personaWy  acquainted  with  at  least  one  master 
mind,  a  distinguished  gentleman  who  has  studied  both  physical 
and  psychical  science,  particularly  as  involved  in  medicine,  chem- 
istry, and  physiology,  who  has  no  idea  and  no  hope  of  another  life 
beyond  the  scenes  of  this  fitful,  fevered  drama,  regarding  man  as 
only  a  high  order  of  animal,  with  the  highest  cerebral  develop- 
ment. In  the  liberal  laws  of  tliis  enlightened  commonwealth  of 
Texas,  —  and  there  is  more  intelligence  among  the  masses  than 
in  any  other  State,  —  a  man's  religion  is  not  the  test  of  ehgibility 
to  office,  oath,  or  emolument ;  and  if  it  were,  this  gentleman  would 
scorn  concealment  under  the  cloak  of  hypocrisy.  He  charges 
me  with  superstition.  According  to  Webster  and  Worcester,  su- 
perstition means  false  religion,  weak  credulity.  I  have  shown 
that  mankind  in  all  ages,  the  most  literate  and  illiterate,  have  be- 
lieved in  a  future  life  and  spiritual  or  angelic  intercourse  of  ex- 
carnated  with  incarnated  men,  amounting  to  an  almost  universal 
instinct.  Now,  this  belief  must  be  founded  in  actual  fact,  or  the 
result  of  instinct.  If  the  former,  the  fact  is  established  ;  if  the 
latter,  we  must  believe  it  will  be  realized  hereafter  as  a  glorious 
truth,  for  all  instincts  of  all  animals  are  gratified,  or  have  the 
means  of  gratification.  Thus  man's  superstition  furnishes  an  ar- 
gument for  future  life.  With  the  sceptic  it  is  at  least  consistent 
to  entertain  these  views  of  Spiritualism  and  all  the  religious  isms; 
but  with  the  religionists  of  any  class  to  reject  Spiritualism  or 
super-mundane  manifestations  of  excarnated  man  in  the  form  of 
angels,  when  all  their  religions  and  Bibles  are  predicated  upon 
this  principle,  and  the  Christian  pre-eminently  so,  as  it  contains 
nearly  two  hundred  such  passages  or  references,  it  proves  them, 
to  use  the  mildest  term,  to  be  either  ignorant  or  insincere.  It 
may  be  urged  that  my  peculiar  temperament  or  constitution  of 
mind  causes  my  incredulity  of  the  fashionable  orthodoxy.  If  so, 
I  may  reply  that  the  constitution  of  the  believer's  mind  is  the 
cause  of  his  credulity.  Again,  it  may  be  said,  my  mental  pecul- 
iarity is  the  cause  of  my  admiring  and  embracing  the  spiritual 
philosophy,  to  which  I  might  retort,  the  mental  peculiarity  of 
others  prevents  them  from  appreciating  and  embracing  this  phi- 
losophy ;  that  they  and  mankind  generally  are  so  constituted  or 
educated  as  to  turn  from  new  lights,  and  reject  improvements 
as  innovations,  —  creatures  of  education,  who  cannot  sunder  the 
shackles  of  early  instillations.     There  are  few,  indeed,  who  can  do 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  183 

this.  Around  men's  hearts  is  a  mail  of  prejudice  and  partiality, 
of  religion  and  bigotry,  that  grows  Avitli  their  growth,  which  is  as 
impervious  to  light  as,  and  which  they  are  generally  no  more  able 
to  break  than,  the  tortoise  can  break  its  shell. 

Viewing  this  phase  of  human  nature,  how  can  we  wonder  at  the 
discordant  and  contradictory  revelations  or  statements  from  spir- 
its, who  have  perhaps  just  entered  the  spheres,  and  have  made 
little  progress  in  wisdom,  love,  and  truth  ?    This  alone  is  enough 
to  explain  all  our  discrepancies ;  and  the  fallibility  of  the  com- 
municator, the  imperfection  of  the  media,  and  the  liability  to 
other  impressions  pre-existing  of  the  recipient,  fully  explicate  all 
mysterious  discordances  ;  and  this  is  philosophy.     But  you  reject 
fact,  explanation,  philosophy,  everything  but  faith.     Faith,  my 
friends,  cannot  bring  bread  for  the  body,  nor  salvation  for  the  soul. 
The  word  'faith,'  however,  has  no  well-defined  meaning:  accord- 
ing to  its  common  acceptation  by  strict  orthodoxy,  it  is  a  mere 
myth  of  superstition  and  ignorance  :  but  if  it  means  intense  en- 
ergy and  inexorable  resolution,  with  unswerving  confidence  in 
them,  it  then  becomes  at  once  a  truth  and  a  philosophy.     The 
answer  of  the  Baptist  preacher  to  the  question,  '  Are  you  not 
afraid  your  proselytes  will  take  cold,  immersing  them  in  mid- 
winter?' 'No  danger  of  their  catching  cold  if  they've  got  faith 
enough ' ;  has  a  truth  which  he  knew  and  a  philosophy  whicli  he 
knew  not.     It  is  well  known  to  scientific  physicians,  that  this  is  a 
potent  principle  in  the  human  mind,  to  keep  ofE  and  cure  disease. 
This  determined  will  can  take  a  man  unscathed  through  a  pes- 
tilence.    There  is  no  more  truthful  and  philosophical  saying  than 
'  where  there  's  a  will  there  's  a  way.'    By  nature's  grand  laws, 
everything  accomplishes  its  purpose,  and  this  positive,  well-defined, 
intelligent,  earnest,  aspiring,  devout  will  will  accomplish  its  pur- 
pose.    It  is  well  said  by  Emerson,  *  The  willj  that  is  the  man.'     So 
much  and  no  more  of  faith  and  will. 

As  for  the  story  of  the  miraculous  cross  appearing  in  the  heav- 
ens over  Constantino's  head,  as  a  sign  by  which  he  was  to  conquer, 
it  Avas  manufactured,  I  opine,  specially  for  Constantino  and  his 
favorites,  and  probably  by  the  very  priest  who  undertook  to  pro- 
cure pardon  and  special  condonation  for  his  crimes ;  Constantine 
himself,  it  is  said,  became  a  convert  to  Christianity  because  a  Pa- 
gan refused  to  absolve  him  from  the  guilt  of  murdering  his  own 
son  (I  think),  declaring  it  impossible  to  procure  expiation  for  so 


184  THE    UNSEALED   BOOK. 

heinous  a  crime  :  but  a  Christian  priest  readily  agreed  to  do  it  for 
him  with  certainty,  celerity,  and  facility. 

This  expiation,  however,  may  not  be  so  incredible,  if  we  believe 
the  able  and  eminent  divine,  Dr.  Olin,  who  said, '  There  was  virtue 
enongh  in  the  blood  of  Christ  to  cleanse  the  foulest  spot  in  hell.' 
Did  the  good  doctor  bethink  himself  how  well  he  was  vindicating 
the  Universalists  ?  or  as  the  Methodists,  among  whom  Olin  was 
a  high  and  honored  dignitary,  delight  to  call  '  hell  redemption- 
ists  ' !  And  yet,  per  contra,  another  prelate  with  whom  he  affilia- 
ted declared  the  '  doctrine  of  universal  salvation  was  repulsive  to 
his  moral  feelings.'  Gracious  God !  what  a  moral  feeling  for 
even  the  breast  of  a  believer,  ay,  for  the  lowest  order  of  brute ! 

In  euphemistic  (?)  parlance,  'plain  as  preaching'  now  means, 
clear  as  mud;  and  'true  as  gospel,'  the  burlesque  on  veracity. 
Hence  the  rapid  growth  of  modern  scepticism  and  materialism. 
If  I  speak  fearlessly  and  severely,  I  speak  honestly  and  truly. 

The  Catholic  Church  acknowledges  the  verity  of  spirit  commu- 
nications, but  ascribes  them  to  the  Devil  or  diabolical  agency. 
(The  Lord  send  us  more  of  these  devils,  with  their  pure  percep- 
tions and  lights  of  immortality!)  E  cmitrario,  the  Abbot  Al- 
mignana.  Doctor  of  the  Canon  Law,  etc.,  writes:  'Having 
witnessed  some  extraordinary  phenomena,  and  desiring  to  assure 
myself  as  to  the  presence  of  a  diabolical  agency  in  these  manifes- 
tations, as  I  had  been  persuaded  to  believe,  profiting  by  the  oppor- 
tunity oilered  by  some  mediums  magnetized  by  others  and  not  by 
myself,  I  was  induced  to  pray,  to  invoke  the  sacred  names  of  God 
and  Jesus,  to  make  the  sign  of  the  cross  on  the  subjects,  and  went 
so  far  as  to  sprinkle  them  with  holy  water,  with  the  design  of 
driving  out  the  Devil  should  he  have  taken  possession  of  them.' 
[You  must  remember,  according  to  the  Catholic  ritual,  suhlata 
causa  tollitur  effectus, remove  the  cause  and  the  effect  ceases;  the 
names  of  Jesus,  holy  water,  etc.,  will  drive  off  the  evil  one.] 
'  However,  as  not  one  of  these  mediums  lost  in  my  presence  the 
smallest  part  of  their  power,  I  was  led  to  infer  that  the  Devil  had 
nothing  to  do  with  the  phenomena.'  In  another  instance  he 
says,  '  The  medium,  instead  of  repelling  the  cross,  as  he  expected, 
seized  it,  and,  smiling,  pressed  it  to  his  lips  in  the  most  affection- 
ate manner,'  etc.  Again,  the  eloquent  prelate,  Lacordaire,  pro- 
claims from  the  pulpit  in  the  church  of  Notre  Dame,  of  Paris, 
that '  this  phenomenon  belonged  to  the  order  of  prophecy,  and 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  185 

that  it  was  a  provision  of  the  divinity  to  humble  the  pride  of 
materialism.' 

Thus  you  see  the  enlightened  and  honest  of  the  preachers  and 
priests  investigate  and  attest  the  truth  of  these  new  scientific  rev- 
elations. But  to  the  captious,  cavilous  clergy,  of  whatever  creed, 
one  clinchiog,  comprehensive  question  :  Do  the  facts  and  philoso- 
phy claimed  for  Spiritualism  tend  to  confirm  and  substantiate  the 
similar  facts  and  revelations  of  Brahma  in  the  Eig  Vedas,  Buddha 
in  the  Bedagat,  Zoroaster  in  the  Zend-Avesta,  of  Isaiah  in  the 
Hebrew  Talmud,  of  Mahomet  in  the  Koran,  of  John  in  the  New 
Testament,  and  all  the  past  revelations  of  excarnated  to  incar- 
nated man,  attesting  human  immortality  ?  Or  do  they  tend  to 
render  them  all  incredible  aud  impossible?  Plead  to  the  issue 
and  give  a  sensible,  honest  answer,  if  you  can.  And  while,  in 
the  plenitude  of  your  piety,  you  roll  up  the  whites  of  3'our  eyes  in 
holy  horror  of  my  'blasphemy'  for  not  believing  Christ  to  be  the 
God  of  creation,  and  for  my  honesty  and  independence  in  avow- 
ing it,  I  warn  you  to  take  care  that  you  do  not  commit  the  '  unpar- 
donable sin  '  in  denying  the  holy  spiritual  agency  of  my  philosophy, 
and  which  Christ  claimed  and  in-oclaimed.  This  is  sacred  soil, 
hallowed  gi-ound :  tread  lightly,  softly." 

We  will  now  devote  a  little  space  to  the  recital  of  dreams,  vis- 
ions, premonitions,  etc.,  showing  that  they  are  not  confined  to 
scriptural  writings,  but  have  been  given  to  mortals  in  all  times 
and  ages,  yea,  are  still  given. 

Pilate's  wife  had  a  premonition  in  respect  to  Christ's  crucifix- 
ion, and  warned  him  to  beware,  which  he  in  some  measure  re- 
garded, to  tlie  extent  at  least  of  "  washing  his  hands  of  the  affair," 
in  his  own  words. 

Dr.  Franlilin  informed  Cabanis,  that  he  frequently  had  "un- 
folded to  him  in  his  dreams  the  bearings  and  issues  of  political 
events  which  had  puzzled  him  when  awake."  Condorcet  had 
presented  to  him  in  his  visions  the  conclusions  of  the  most  ab- 
struse calculations,  which  he  could  not  arrive  at  when  awake. 
Lord  Bacon,  in  France,  was  warned  in  a  dream  of  his  father's 
death  in  England,  which  proved  true  to  the  moment.  A  distin- 
guished lawyer  of  Edinburgh,  ''who  had  been  consulted  in  a  diflB- 
cult  case  of  great  importance,  and  had  been  studying  it  with 
intense  anxiety  and  attention,  was  observed  by  his  wife,  after 


186  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

several  days  had  been  occupied  in  this  manner,  to  rise  from  his 
bed  in  the  night  and  go  to  a  writing-desk  which  stood  in  the  bed- 
room. He  then  sat  down  and  wrote  a  long  paper,  which  he  put 
carefully  by  in  the  desk,  and  returned  to  bed.  The  following 
morning  he  told  his  wife  that  he  had  a  most  interesting  dream ; 
that  he  had  dreamed  of  delivering  a  clear  and  luminous  opinion 
respecting  a  case  which  had  exceedingly  perplexed  him:  and  that 
he  would  give  anything  to  recover  the  train  of  thought  which 
had  passed  before  him  in  his  dream.  She  then  directed  him  to 
the  writing-desk,  where  he  found  the  opinion  clearly  and  fully 
written  out,  and  which  Avas  afterwards  found  to  be  perfectly  cor- 
rect." 

Josephus  records :  "  Galphira,  the  daughter  of  King  Archelaus, 
after  the  death  of  her  first  two  husbands  (being  married  to  a 
third,  who  was  a  brother  of  her  first  husband),  had  a  very  odd 
kind  of  a  dream.  She  fancied  that  she  saw  her  first  husband 
come  toward  her,  and  that  she  embraced  him  with  great  tender- 
ness; when  in  the  midst  of  the  great  pleasure  which  she  expressed 
at  the  sight  of  him,  he  reproached  her  after  the  following  man- 
ner :  '  Galphira,  thou  hast  made  good  the  old  saying,  that  women 
are  not  to  be  trusted.  Was  not  I  the  husband  of  thy  virginity? 
Have  I  not  children  by  thee  ?  How  could  thou  so  far  forget  our 
loves  as  to  enter  into  other  marriages,  nay,  to  marry  my  own 
brother  ?  However,  for  the  sake  of  our  past  loves,  I  will  free  thee 
from  thy  present  reproach  and  make  thee  mine  forever  ! '  Gal- 
phira told  this  dream  to  several  women  of  her  acquaintance,  and 
died  soon  after." 

Abercrombie,  after  giving  many  instances  of  dreams,  visions, 
etc.,  from  Sir  Walter  Scott,  and  otber  contemporaneous  literati, 
the  most  of  which  he  explains  very  plausibly  on  principles  of  phi- 
losophy, records  the  following,  which  he  acknowledges  cannot  be 
explained,  and  the  truth  of  which  he  vouches  for :  — 

"  Two  ladies,  sisters,  had  been  for  several  days  in  attendance 
upon  their  brother,  who  was  ill  of  a  common  sore  throat,  severe 
and  protracted,  but  not  considered  as  attended  with  danger.  At 
the  same  time  one  of  them  had  borrowed  a  watch  from  a  female 
friend,  in  consequence  of  her  own  being  under  repair.  This 
watch  was  one  to  which  particular  value  was  attached,  on  account 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  187 

of  some  family  associations,  and  some  anxiety  was  expressed  that 
it  might  not  meet  with  any  injury.  The  sisters  were  sleeping 
together  in  a  room  communicating  with  that  of  their  brother, 
when  the  elder  of  them  awoke  in  a  state  of  great  agitation,  and 
having  roused  the  other,  told  her  she  had  had  a  frightful  dream. 
•*  I  dreamed,'  said  she,  *  that  Mary's  watch  stopped  ;  and  that  when 
I  told  you  of  the  circumstance,  you  replied.  Much  worse  than  that 

has  happened,  for 's  breath  has  stopped  also,'  —  naming  their 

brother  who  was  ill.  To  quiet  her  agitation,  the  younger  sister 
immediately  got  up,  and  found  the  brother  sleeping  quietly,  and 
the  watch,  which  had  been  carefully  put  by  in  a  drawer,  going 
correctly.  The  following  night  the  very  same  dream  occurred, 
followed  by  similar  agitation,  which  was  again  composed  in  the 
same  manner ;  the  brother  being  again  found  in  a  quiet  sleei^,  and 
the  watch  going  well.  On  the  following  morning,  soon  after  the 
family  had  breakfasted,  one  of  the  sisters  was  sitting  by  her 
brother,  while  the  other  was  writing  a  note  in  the  adjoining 
room.  When  her  note  was  ready  for  being  sealed,  she  was  pro- 
ceeding to  take  out  for  this  purpose  the  watch  alluded  to,  which 
had  been  put  by  in  her  writing-desk,  she  was  astonished  to  find 
it  stopped.  At  the  same  instant  she  heard  a  scream  of  intense 
distress  from  her  sister  in  the  other  room.  Their  brother,  who 
had  still  been  considered  as  going  on  favorably,  had  been  seized 
with  a  sudden  tit  of  suffocation,  and  had  just  breathed  his 
last." 

"  Cornelius  Agrippa,"  says  D'Israeli,  "  before  ho  wrote  his 
'Varieties  of  the  Arts  and  Sciences,'  intended  to  reduce  into  a 
system  and  method  the  secret  of  communication  with  spirits  and 
demons.  On  good  authority,  that  of  Porphyrins,  Piessus,  Plon- 
tinus,  Jamblichus,  and  better  were  it  necessary  to  allege  it,  he  was 
well  assured  that  the  upper  regions  of  the  air  swarmed  with  what 
the  Greeks  called  demons,  just  as  our  lower  atmosphere  is  full  of 
birds,  and  waters  of  fish,  and  our  earth  of  insects." 

"  Caesar's  wife,  Calpurnia,  who  lived  above  suspicion,  had  a 
premonition  of  Caesar's  fate,  and  exerted  herself  to  dissuade  him 
from  going  to  the  Senate  that  fatal  day.  lie  attended,  however, 
and  on  being  attacked  fought  courageously  all  the  conspirators 
until  he  saw  the  blade  of  his  friend  Brutus  glitter  against  him, 


188  TUE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

when  his  proud  heart  failed,  and  covering  his  fuce  in  liis  mantle, 
with  the  exclamation,  '  And  thou,  too,  Brutus  I '  the  bloody  des- 
pot yielded  his  body  a  victim  to  foul  conspiracy,  and  fell  at  tlie 
feet  of  Pompey's  statue.  But  after  this,  it  is  recorded  by  Plu- 
tarch, his  spirit  appeared  twice  to  Brutus,  and  spoke  to  him, 
promising  to  *  meet  him  at  Philippi,  sword  in  hand.'  And  sure 
enough,  Brutus  there  expiated  his  crime  on  his  own  svvord." 

"  Lord  Byron  was  '  superstitious ' ;  he  believed  in  the  ill  luck 
of  Friday,  and  was  seriously  disconcerted  if  anything  was  to  be 
done  on  that  frightful  day  of  the  week.  Yet  he  sometimes 
laughed  at  the  idea  of  ghosts.  Not  long  after  the  death  of  Lord 
Byron,  Sir  Walter  Scott  was  engaged  in  his  study,  during  the 
darkening  twilight  of  an  autumnal  evening,  in  reading  a  sketch 
of  Byron's  form  and  habits,  his  manners  and  opinions.  On  a 
sudden  he  saw,  as  he  laid  down  his  book  and  passed  into  his  hall, 
the  eidolon  of  his  departed  friend  before  him." 

"  Lord  Chadworth  was  an  infidel  and  unbeliever  in  immortal- 
ity.    One  morning  at  breakfast  he  exclaimed,  '  I  had  a  strange 

visitor  last  night :  my  old  friend  B came  to  me.'     '  How,' 

asked  his  niece,  '  did  he  come  after  I  retired  ?  '  '  His  spirit  did,' 
said  Lord  Chadworth,  solemnly.  '  0,  my  dear  uncle,  how  could 
the  spirit  of  a  living  man  appear  ?  '  said  the  niece,  smiling.  '  He 
is  dead  beyond  doubt,'  replied  his  lordship.  '  Listen,  and  then 
laugh  as  much  as  you  please.  I  had  not  entered  my  bedroom 
many  minutes  when  he  stood  before  me.  Like  you,  I  could  not 
believe  but  that  I  was  looking  on  the  living  man,  and  so  accosted 
him ;  but  he,  the  spirit,  answered,  Chadworth,  I  died  this  night 
at  eight  o'clock.  I  came  to  tell  you  there  is  another  world  beyond 
the  grave;  there  is  a  righteous  God  that  Judgeth  all.'  '  Depend 
upon  it,  uncle,  it  was  only  a  dream.'  But  while  Miss  Wright  was 
yet  speaking,  a  groom  on  horseback  rode  uj)  the  avenue,  and  im- 
mediately delivered  a  letter  to  Lord  Chadworth  announcing  the 
sudden  death  of  his  friend.  The  effect  on  the  mind  of  Lord  Chad- 
worth  was  as  happy  as  it  was  permanent ;  all  his  doubts  were  at 
once  and  forever  removed." 

"  Cardinal  Wolsey,  and  Fletcher  the  Divine,  had  presentiments 
of  their  death.      Lord  Lyttleton,  famous  in  law,  was  approached 


THE   UNSEALED    BOOK.  189 

by  the  deceased  mother  of  a  young  lady  whom  he  had  injured, 
and  who  tauntingly  told  him  the  very  day  and  hour  of  his  death, 
which  literally  occurred.  And  he,  in  turn,  appeared  immediately 
after  his  death  to  his  friend  Andrews." 


"  Jeanne  Dare,  commonly  called  Joan  of  Arc,  at  thirteen  years 
of  age,  had  visions,  and  was  informed  of  her  mission  for  the  deliv- 
erance of  France,  which  was  fully  and  literally  accomplished, 
according  to  the  spiritual  presages  of  her  early  life ;  and  when 
she  appeared  at  the  head  of  the  troops,  her  beautiful  hair  hanging 
in  ringlets  over  her  shoulders  and  streaming  in  the  wind,  her  eyes 
flashing  the  radiance  of  a  high  inspiration,  and  her  face  beaming 
with  the  benignity  of  her  heavenly  mission,  she  seemed  an  incar- 
nated angel  on  earth,  and  popular  enthusiasm  knew  no  bounds. 
Subsequently  she  was  tried  and  condemned  on  the  charge  of  sor- 
cery, by  the  ecclesiastical  party  under  the  bishop  of  Beauvais. 
Bound  in  iron  chains  and  condemned  to  death,  this  fair  girl  and 
heavenly  heroine  baffled  the  crowd  of  subtle  theologians,  who  had 
constituted  themselves  the  cruel  inquisition  with  prepared  ques- 
tions to  entrap  her.  She  declared  her  mission  was  from  God, 
communicated  by  celestial  agents,  who  appeared  richly  clothed, 
and  always  accompanied  with  a  brilliant  light.  To  the  question 
how  they  could  speak,  being  pure  spirits  without  members,  she 
answered  she  knew  not ;  she  only  knew  their  voices  were  sweet, 
their  language  beautiful,  and  their  counsel  holy.  It  Avas  again 
objected  that  they  were  appearances  without  reality.  '  Whether 
they  be  ap]xireut  or  real,  I  have  proved  them,  and  I  would  rather 
lose  my  head  than  deny  their  being.'  After  fulfilling  all  her  pre- 
ternatural inspirations  and  aspirations,  from  her  thirteenth  year 
of  age,  this  virgin  martyr  of  French  liberty  and  angelic  develop- 
ment of  heavenly  truth  was  in  her  twenty-first  year  burnt  alive 
by  the  Church." 


"Millions  of  spiritual  creatures  walk  the  earth,  both  day  and 
night,  when  we  sleep  and  when  we  wake,"  said  Milton.  The 
pious  Thomas  Peyton,  commemorating  the  translation  of  Enoch, 
in  his  "  Glasse  of  Time,"  published  in  1G20,  thus  discours- 
eth :  — 


190  THE    UNSEALED    BOOK. 

*'  The  angels  bright,  and  all  the  powers  divine, 
Winged  with  fame  to  mount  the  highest  heavens, 

Descending  sweetly  on  the  lonely  breast,"  etc 

"  Imagination,  that  strongest,  most  imperious  of  our  faculties, 
whose  soarings  from  earth  to  heaven  may  be  reckoned  among  the 
indications  of  power  beyond  the  grave,  delights  in  the  bold,  the 
commanding,  the  superb;  what  are  these  but  the  infant  attributes 
of  the  disembodied  spirits,  the  imperfect  developments  of  a  state 
of  being,  to  which  time  and  space  are  nothing,  when  man,  shak- 
ing oif  the  covering  of  the  grave,  shall  be  clothed  with  the  might 
of  angels,  the  splendid  denizen  of  infinitude  and  eternity  "  ?  wrote 
the  eloquent  George  Croly. 

Says  Addison  :  "  At  the  same  time,  I  think  a  person  who  is  terri- 
fied by  the  imagination  of  ghosts  and  spectres,  much  more  reason- 
able than  one  who,  contrary  to  the  report  of  all  historians,  sacred 
and  profane,  ancient  and  modern,  and  to  the  traditions  of  all 
nations,  thinks  the  appearance  of  spirits  fabulous  and  groundless. 
Could  I  not  give  myself  up  to  the  testimony  of  mankind,  I  should 
to  the  relations  of  particular  persons  who  are  now  living,  aud 
whom  I  cannot  distrust  in  other  matters  of  fact.  I  may  here  add, 
that  not  only  the  historians,  to  whom  we  may  join  the  poets,  but 
likewise  the  philosophers  of  antiquity,  have  favored  this  opinion." 

Johnson  writes  :  "  That  the  dead  are  no  more  seen,"  said  Imiac, 
"I  will  not  undertake  to  maintain  against  the  concurrent  and  un- 
varied testimony  of  all  ages,  and  all  nations.  There  is  no  people, 
rude  or  learned,  among  whom  apparitions  of  the  dead  are  not  be- 
lieved. This  opinion,  which  perhaps  prevails  as  far  as  human 
nature  is  diffused,  could  become  universal  only  by  its  truth ;  those 
who  never  heard  of  one  another,  would  not  have  agreed  in  a  tale 
which  nothing  but  experience  can  make  credible;  that  it  is 
doubted  by  simple  cavilers,  can  very  little  weaken  tlie  general 
evidence :  and  some  who  deny  it  by  their  tongues,  confess  it  by 
their  fears." 

"We  will  here  insert  a  piece  compiled  by  us  some  little  time  ago, 
entitled  ''  Spirit  Communings,"  after  which  we  shall  give  some 
explanations  regarding  the  philosophy  of  spiritual  intercourse,  as 
understood  by  some  of  our  most  able,  enlightened,  and  scientific 
minds. 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  191 

"For  'tis  better  that  souls  should  upward  tend, 

And  strive  for  the  victor's  crown, 
Than  to  ask  the  angels  their  help  to  lend, 

And  come  to  man's  weakness  down." 

My  dear  friends,  I  know  not  how  to  begin, 
Or  how  this  subject  to  place  in  order 
To  make  it  seem  unto  you  plain,  as  it 
So  much  doth  embrace.     I  firstly  would  say  : 
In  cominir  back  here  our  mission  should  be. 
To  give  to  you  who  dwell  upon  this  earthly 
Sphere  such  truths  as  you  can  receive  and  feel 
That  they  come  from  a  higher  source  and  are 
Intended  to  raise  your  aspirations 
To  a  nobler  course  of  life,  also  to 
Enforce  alike  on  your  minds  a  view  of 
The  future  condition  which  doth  every 
Soul  or  spirit  aWait  when  they  pass  river 
Jordan.     Our  time  we  do  freely,  willingly 
Give  to  those  who  do  appreciate  the  gift. 
Whose  hearts  are  ready  to  receive  a  sure 
Proof  of  our  advanced  state  ;  not  that  we  claim 
A  reward  of  merit,  or  feel  that  we 
Arc  better  than  they.     We  all  more  or  less 
Inherit  some  sweet  mixed  with  the  bitter, 
Much  bitter  mth  the  sweet.     If  we  were  no 
Wiser  than  when  we  came  to  our  spirit 
Home  above,  — a  century  and  more  agone,  — 
Our  aim  would  be  ourselves  to  improve,  ere 
AVe  came  back  to  earth  ;  unless  perchance  to 
Give  our  friends  a  token  of  kind  remembrance, 
AV^hich  same  might  enhance  their  joy  ;  for 
Our  recosrnition  of  dear  ones  below 
Satisfaction  gives  to  them,  we  know;  and 
This  is  why  undeveloped  spirits  often 
Strive  to  prwe  their  own  indentity,  and 
Demonstrate  unto  their  friends  the  fact  that 


192  THE    UNSEALED   BOOK. 

Disembodied  spirits  possess  the  power 

To  come  back  and  graciously  enact  a 

"Brother's  part."     Some  inherit  a  great  degree 

Of  spiritual  force  or  mediumistic 

Power,  and  by  it  are  enabled  to  at 

Once  or  immediately  after  dissolution 

Strong  proof  or  evidence  give  of  their  ability 

To  return  at  will  to  the  friends  and  scenes 

Of  earth.     There  's  one  thing  more  which  is  requisite 

Still  for  their  aid  :  it  is,  forsooth,  the  chords 

Of  affection  tender  and  true,  which  bind 

Them  to  their  dear  ones  below  ;  attraction 

Alone  can  sympathy  draw  from  those  gone 

Before.     Your  tones  should  then  be  gentle  and 

Kind,  to  secure  the  same  in  return  from 

Them.     If  they  have  but  just  reached  the  farther 

Shore,  they  have  not,  of  course,  become  much  changed 

In  their  manners  or  mode  of  life  ;  as  the 

Law  of  progression  holds  good  in  all  spheres. 

'T  is  by  toil  through  strife  we  perform  our  life 

Mission,  and  rise  by  degrees  to  a  higher 

State  of  being ;  our  condition,  there  as 

Here  or  anywhere,  depends  not  on  fate^ 

But  on  our  own  exertion;  nor  does  it 

Depend  —  as  some  have  been  taught  and  do  now 

Falsely  believe  —  on  the  blood  of  the  Saviour  : 

That  is  naught,  unless,  like  him,  you  do  live, 

At  least,  so  far  as  you  may  be  able. 

His  death,  notwithstanding,  was  essential 

In  carrying  out  the  plan  so  noble. 

Rendering  good  for  evil  has  never 

Been  truly  accomplished  on  earth  by  other 

Than  he  ;  never  have  we,  before  or  since 

The  Saviour's  birth,  had  occasion  to  render 

Such  heartfelt  praise  to  the  all-wise  Giver 

As  then  ;  for  his  life  hath  taught  and  teaches 

Still,  if  we  live  ever  near  to  our  God, 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  193 

As  we  ought,  no  powers  of  earth,  of  heaven,  or 
Hell,  can  harm  our  spirits  pure.     Pain  and  death 
Your  bodies  may  endure  :  there  have  been  in 
All  ages  martyrs  among  the  advocates 
Of  God's  truth. 

As  I  have  before  said,  your 
Friends  may  possess  the  requisite  jDower  to 
Draw  very  near,  and  also  your  mind  and 
Heart  to  impress,  if  they  saw  it  would  be 
To  you  a  satisfaction  ;  if  they,  on 
The  contrary,  were  led  to  suppose  their 
Eecognitiou  of  you  would  bring  inharmony, 
Or  would  enfeeble  the  cause  so  noble, 
On  account  of  your  unbelief,  they  surely 
Would  not,  if  ever  so  able,  render 
To  you,  or  to  a  chief  (if  wise),  one  single 
Iota  of  the  truth  divine  so  sacred 
And  pure  to  them.     It  would  be  like  casting 
"Pearls  before  swine,"  and  would  this  truth  condemn. 
I  have  also  said,  attraction  alone 
Can  sympathy  draw ;  'tis  true,  and  for  this 
Reason  it  dependeth  on  you,  solely. 
Whether  or  not  spirits  come  at  your  call. 
K  your  lips  say  yes,  while  no  says  your  hearty 
'T  were  better  by  far  that  you  had  kept  still ; 
Your  lips  and  your  heart  must  surely  agree, 
Else  you  will  no  satisfaction  receive. 
Your  spirit  must  harmonize  with  that  of 
Your  friend,  or  he  cannot  you  give  truthful 
Statements  or  replies  ;  not  such,  I  mean,  as 
You  from  your  standpoint  will  acknowledge 
Tme.     There  must  be,  on  your  part,  a  pure  intent. 
An  earnest  desire  to  know  "  if  these  things 
Be  true  "  ;  there  must  also  be  a  mutual 
Attachment :  unanimity  of  thought 
And  feeling  between  you  will  further  the 
Advancement  of  both.     These,  friends,  are  the  true 


194  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

Conditions  required  by  advanced  spirits 

To  hold  sweet  communion  with  embodied 

Ones,  and  give  to  each  the  merits  of  which 

They  are  deserving,  be  they  few  or  be 

They  many.     And  here  we  take  the  liberty 

To  say  :  a  soul  which  doth  thus  inquire  shall 

Want  no  good  thing.     It  shall  he  satisfied. 

Trusting  in  the  Lord  always  ;  and  "  He  shall 

Give  his  angels  charge  over  thee,  to  keep 

Thee  in  all  thy  ways,"     "  Thine  age  shall  be  dearer 

Than  the  noonday  ;  thou  shalt  shine  forth,  thou  shalt 

Be  as  the  morning."     Friends  beloved,  turn 

Not  away  ;  these  teachings  are  pure  and  true. 

Ask  ye,  "  What  knowest  thou  that  we  know  not?" 

Lo,  mine  eye  hath  seen  all  this  ;  mine  ear  hath 

Heard  and  understood  it ;  yea,  much  inore  than 

This  :  for,  "  in  thoughts  from  the  visions  of  the 

Night,  when  deep  sleep  falleth  on  man,  a  spirit 

Passed  before  my  face  "  ;  my  sight  failed  not ;  mine 

Eyes  did  discern  the  face  and  form  of  one 

In  earth  life  dear,  and  lo,  a  voice  sweetly 

Said,  "  Even  the  night  shall  be  light  about 

Thee  ;  it  is  I,  be  not.  afraid."     I  said, 

"Is  there  any  secret  thing  with  thee,  aught 

Which  I  for  thee  can  do  ?     Such  knowledge  is 

Too  wonderful  for  me."     The  angel  voice 

Did  reply,  "I  will  show  thee,  hear  me  ;  and 

That  which  I  have  seen  I  will  declare."    No 

Sound  disturbed  the  silence  then,  as 

He,  in  tones  so  sweet,  low,  and  clear,  gave  me 

To  know  the  beauties  of  his  home.     He  said 

That  here  we  only  could  have  a  faint  conception 

Of  the  same,  or  of  the  joy  so  heavenly. 

Which  did  await  the  pure  in  heart.     Could  we 

But  realize  in  earth  life  as  there,  how 

Much  of  joy  we  oft  forego  by  failing 

To  avoid  strife,  we  should  at  once  seek  peace 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  195 

And  ensue  it,  endeavor  to  follow 

Him  who  discovereth  deep  things  out  of 

The  darkness,  and  giveth  light  unto  them 

That  sit  in  darkness.     The  blind  shall  there  see. 

Methinks  I  hear  some  loved  ones  say,  "  Show  us 

The  way."     Ask  the  fowls  of  the  air,  and  they 

Shall  tell  thee  ;  or  speak  to  the  earth,  and  it 

Shall  teach  thee.     By  the  earth  we  mean  the  people 

Who  do  inhabit  the  same.     Speak  thou  to 

Them  and  ask  the  most  noble  if  so  it 

Hath  been  with  theirs  and  them  ;  if  they  have  not 

Found  that  where  was  deceit  on  the  part  of 

Their  neighbor,  no  communion  between  them 

"Was  complete,  however  much  they  might  labor 

And  strive  to  do  well  their  part ;   unity 

Alone  could  produce  true  effects.     There  exists 

The  same  rule  of  equity  in  the  chain 

Which  connects  spirits  disembodied  with 

Those  of  earth.     If  the  magnet  be  strongest 

Which  attracts  them  below,  they  will,  forsooth, 

Hover  near  to  their  dearest ;  and  if  their 

Dearest  are  higher  than  they  in  spiritual 

Knowledge,  the  earth  ones  will  be  the  teachers 

Most  true.     As  a  man  in  his  dotage  oft 

Seems  to  know  less  than  when  in  his  prime,  just 

So  will  he  enter  the  heavenly  sphere.     We 

Were  born  to  this  life  prccisel}''  the  same 

As  are  your  little  ones  there,  although  cause 

And  effect  we  can  more  plainly  discern ; 

The  earth  child  is  by  nature  (as  you  term 

It,  my  views  differ  therefrom)  endowed  with 

Its  peculiar  attributes  ;  its  being 

Possesses  at  birth  the  seed  which  shall  germinate 

And  shall  accordingly  bring  forth  fruit  after 

Its  kind.     Excuse  me,  friends,  if  I  here  do 

Suggest  some  thoughts  concerning  this  "seed."     There 

Doubtless  are  those  whose  minds  are  impressed 


196  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

Correctly.     Of  late,  indeed,  the  subject 

Has  been  discussed  most  freely,  and  many 

Have  written  thereon.     It  is  not  my  purpose 

To  here  fully  demonstrate  this  truth  ;  as 

Understood  by  us  who  have  watched  for  a 

Century  of  years  the  "  sowing  time  and 

Harvest."     If  we  should  so  tell  as  the  same 

Appears  unto  us  in  full  earnest,  there 

Would  be  many  who  in  like  earnest  would 

Say,  "  Ye  are  forgers  of  lies  "  ;  we  therefore 

Deem  it  best  and  wisest  you  to  instruct 

By  degrees.     So  now  we  will  ask  what  ye 

Yourselves  understand  regarding  your  offspring : 

Who  is  the  sower,  and  who  wields  the  power? 

We  can  you  evidence  bring  that  on  the 

Side  paternal  the  sower  doth  stand,  and 

What  of  the  power  f    It  hath  stood  side  by  side 

With  the  sower  ;  does  now  in  grades  lower  — 

We  had  almost  said  than  the  brute  degree. 

Does  this,  then,  demoralize  man?     Yea,  "ask 

Now  the  beasts  and  they  shall  tell  thee"     What  beast 

Is  higher  than  woman  f     Or  "  speak  to  the 

Earth  and  it  shall  teach  thee."     Is  the  soil 

Ever  ready  in  summer  and  winter  the  same, 

Think  ye  ?     Requires  it  no  industry  to 

Culture,  enrich,  and  for  use  prepare?     Allow 

Ye  no  time  for  these  ?     If  not,  ye  do  greatly 

Err.     E'en  the  best  of  soil,  my  friends,  could  not 

Produce  good  grains  or  fruits  rare,  with  no 

Time  for  culture  between  harvest  and  seed 

Time.     Again,  the  soil  may  be  well  prepared, 

But  alas  !  the  seed  is  bad,  the  crop  a 

Failure,  though  no  pains  were  spared  to  render 

Its  culture  good.     It  dependeth  not  alone 

On  the  seed,  nor  yet  alone  on  the  soil ; 

The  soil  and  the  seed  must  alike  be  good : 

Your  labor  then  is  not  vain.     O,  heed  our 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  197 

Advice,  that  your  "  sons  may  be  as  plants  grown 
Up  in  their  youth  "  ;  and  your  daughters  as 
"  Corner-stones,"  —  a  blessing  to  thee  on  earth, 
A  twofold  blessing  in  the  higher  spheres 
Of  immortal  love.     "The  fathers  have  eaten 
Sour  grapes,  and  the  children's  teeth  are  set  on 
Edge.     As  I  live,  saith  the  Lord  God,  ye  shall 
Not  have  occasion  any  more  to  use 
This  proverb."     O,  hasten  the  time  when  fathers, 
Mothers  all,  true  wisdom  may  learn,  and  these 
Lessons  sublime  teach  their  children  as  well. 
"  My  tongue  is  the  pen  of  a  ready  writer." 
O,  may  its  precepts  all  be  pure  and  true  ! 
"My  heart  is  inditing  of  a  good  matter." 
I  would  I  might  make  it  more  plain  to  you. 

I  would  now  speak  of  a  class  I  have  before 

Casually  mentioned,  — the  undeveloped 

Ones.     When  these  go  hence,  if  it  be  ignorantly 

"  Concerning  these  things,"  they  have  much  to  learn 

Before  they  can  perfectly  with  their  friends 

Below  know  how  to  commune  ;  they  therefore 

Watch  anxiously  for  opportunities 

To  learn,  for  ways  and  means  by  which  to 

Demonstrate  a  proof  of  their  existence. 

When  an  opportunity  doth  present 

They  wait  not  for  assistance,  but  just  rush 

"  Pell-mell "  to  the  very  front  in  a  state 

Of  confusion.     There  arc  some  things  they  know, 

Most  things  they  don't.     A  sort  of  inspiration. 

Itself  undeveloped,  doth  lead  them  on  ; 

They  know  not  where  to  begin  or  what  to 

Say  ;  perhaps  the  very  one  they  first  address 

Thinks  't  is  sin  spirit  manifestations 

To  witness,  because  he  believeth  not 

That  they  shall  return  out  of  darkness,  and 

For  him  no  liglit  shiueth.     Spiritual 


198  THE    UNSEALED   BOOK. 

Power  comes  alone  from  the  Devil  (so  his 

Kind  parents  have  taught),  and  if  he 's  not  shunned, 

"Beware  of  the  evil,  your  soul  will  be 

Killed  outright."     The  spirit  embodied  is, 

Like  the  other,  undeveloped,  as  you 

See  ;  beside  all  this,  he  's  not  a  brother  ; 

They  scarcely  each  other  know  :  there  is  no 

Harmony  the  two  betwixt,  mind  to  mind 

Stranger.     What  wonder,  then,  things  get  muddled 

And  mixed  ;  by  the  laws  of  nature  they  could 

Not  do  otherwise  ;  for  indeed  it  is  hard 

With  conditions  the  very  best  to  at 

First  succeed.     There  are  many  obstructions 

With  which  mortals  and  spirits  must  contend, 

And  learn  by  experience  how  best  to 

Use  means  to  further  the  end  which  they  see 

In  the  distance,  or  thinl:  they  see,  for  the 

End  is  not  yet.     Your  wisest  and  your  best 

Below  have  not  thoroughly  learned  their  alphabet 

Yet,  therefore  their  progress  is  slow. 

"  He  shall 
Be  driven  from  light  into  darkness  and 
Chased  out  of  the  world,"     Countless  numbers 
There  are  who  do  possess  strong  powers,  whiclx  they 
Might  unfold  for  their  advancement,  the  glory 
Of  God,  the  good  of  their  fellow-men  ;  they 
Do  no  such  thing,  but  trifle  instead  with 
The  precious  gift  God-given.     They  love  not 
The  truth,  but  choose,  rather,  lies.     As  "hke  attracts 
Like,"  what  is  the  result?     "Let  not  him  that 
Is  deceived  trust  in  vanity  ;  for  vanity 
Shall  be  his  recompense."     When  such  as  these 
Do  hold  forth,  the  righteous  and  upright  tliiuk 
It  all  pretence,  condemn  the  beautiful 
Truth  of  spirit  communion,  when  all  that's 
Wrong  is  the  trifling  instrument;  the  truth 
Remains  the  same.     O  Lord,  "how  long  shall  the 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  199 

Ungodly  triumph  ?  "    It  may  truly  be 

Said,  The  last  state  of  that  man  is  worse  than 

The  first ;  Thine  own  mouth  condemneth  thee,  and 

Not  I ;  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost,  —  that 

Is,  the  spirit  of  truth,  —  and  turn  ye  from 

The  error  of  3'^our  ways,  that  ye  may  become 

Living  examples  of  truth. 

"  Should  he  reason 
With  unprofitable  talk  ?  "     We  now  will 
Bring  before  you  still  another  class  :  upright 
In  their  walk  and  in  all  their  dealings  true  ; 
Their  hearts  open  to  conviction,  willing 
To  be  convinced  of  the  truth,  had  they  sufficient 
Proof;  the  indwelling  of  the  spirit  from 
Their  youth  has  oft  made  them  to  feel  —  well,  a 
Something  for  which  they  could  not  account ;  their 
Faith  is  strong  in  the  Supreme  Being,  they 
Have  studied  a  vast  amount.     There  must,  they 
Say,  be  some  supernatural  agency. 
But  it  is  a  mystery  which  they  cannot 
Solve  ;  no  efiectual  means  have  they  found 
To  descry  whether  it  be  but  a  false 
Hallucination,  or  whether  an  actual 
Truth.     They  repeatedly  have  listened  to 
Communications  purporting  to  have 
Come  from  the  spirit  land.     The  name  of  the 
Friend  who  gave  the  same  may  in  some  cases 
Have  been  given,  and  he  may  have  been  in 
His  day  (on  earth)  a  very  wise  man  ;  3'et 
There  may  have  been  one  thing  lacking,  and  because 
Of  that  one  thing  (which  was  insufficient 
Understanding  in  the  way  of  communicating) , 
He  may  not  hnvc  been  able  to  render 
His  statements  quite  clearly,  or  he  may  have 
Failed  to  engender  his  language  peculiar. 
Those  who  hear  are  not  satisfied  ;  they  grope 
In  the  dark  without  light ;  they  hold  converse 


200  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

Together.     One  doth  say,  "  I  can't  make  it 
Out,  although  I  know  there 's  something  in  it." 
Another  laughingly  says  :  So  and  so 
"  Has  forgotten  his  grammar  since  he  became 
A  spirit "  (as  if  he  was  not  always 
A  spirit).     A  third  one  keeps  silence,  but 
He  is  wise,  and  thus  his  future  portends  : 
(Thinking)  I  will  not  give  sleep  to  mine  eyes 
Or  slumber  to  mine  eyelids  until  I 
Search  out  this  matter.  —  Brother,  we  rejoice 
For  and  with  thee  ;  thou  art  not  far  from  the 
Kingdom.     Thy  radiant  eyes  shall  soon  see  ;  and 
It  shall  come  to  pass,  that  in  the  place  where 
It  was  said  unto  them.  Ye  are  not  my 
People,  there  it  shall  be  said  unto  them, 
"le  are  the  sons  of  the  living  God."     In 
The  present  case  the  spirit  who  did  control 
Had  no  friends  below  especially  dear, 
Or  none  that  could  awaken  that  chord  of 
Sympathy  and  pure  love  combined  which  gives 
The  true  condition  requisite  to  converse 
With  those  left  behind.     This  is  no  false 
Conception.     Those  who  are  still  on  the  earth 
Sphere  living,  their  dear  ones  all  around  them, 
Cannot  in  their  future  state  of  being 
Take  an  interest  as  warm  as  those  whose 
Loving  ones  await  them  there.     Lo  this,  we 
Have  searched  it,  so  it  is  ;  hear  it,  and  know 
Thou  it  for  thy  good.     "  O,  that  my  words  were 
Now  written  !     O,  that  they  were  printed  in 
A  book  !  that  they  were  graven  with  an  iron 
Pen  and  lead  in  the  rock  forever  ! " 

"  Behold, 
He  put  no  truth  in  his  servants  ;  his  angels 
He  charged  with  folly."     Here  is  a  circumstance 
A  friend  relates,  illustrating  most  fully 
The  foregoing.     Our  friend  was  a  lady, 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  201 

Also  a  medium.     She  was  quietly 

Sitting,  in  company  with  two  gentlemen, 

At  a  stand.     A  third  person  enters  the 

Room  (stranger)  and  is  invited  to  join 

The  circle.     He  replies  gruffly,  "  No,  sir." 

The  conditions  are  broken,  and  no  wonder. 

Stranger  then  makes  his  boast  as  follows  :   "  I 

Never  yet  Aveut  to  a  place  where  this  thing  was 

Going  on  but  I  broke  it  up,  and  sent 

The  spirits  where  they  came  from,  provided 

There  were  any  there.     I  know,"  he  added, 

"  They  have  nothing  to  do  with  moving  that 

Table.     Just  you  all  take  off  your  hands,  and 

See  then.     If  they  can  raise  or  move  it  with 

Hands  on,  I  know  they  can  without  thum.     It 

Hain't  done  by  no  spirits.     I  investigated 

This  thing  myself  about  fifteen  years  ago. 

I  just  took  out  my  watch  and  laid  it  down 

On  the  table.     Then  said  I,  '  Spirits,  I 

Give  you  leave  to  go  for  it :  if  j^ou 

Can  carry  it  off,  it  is  yours,  and  I'll 

Give  up  to  the  ghosts.'     Now,  I  knew  that  I 

Was  safe.     This  watch"  (pulling  it  out  of  his 

Pocket)  "  lay  on  that  table  a  half-hour. 

I  hain't  never  lost  no  watches  yet."     (I  'm 

Afraid  he  never  won't. )     If  he  had  known 

AYhat  a  poor  fool  he  was  making  of  himself. 

He  would  doubtless  have  kept  still ;  but,  as  the 

Saying  goes,  he  laughed  at  his  own  folly. 

The  lady  medium  would  not  on  him 

Waste  words  to  any  extent.     She  merely 

Said  :  "  A  stove  stands  there  ;  within  it  the  fire 

Is  bright.     You  say,  '  I  want  my  breakfast  cooked.' 

Will  that  fire  cook  your  breakfast  ?     If  some  one 

Put  it  on  the  stove  it  might,  and  most 

Assuredly  would.     You  say  again,  'Fire,  I  know 

That  if  you  can  cook  my  breakfast  for  me 


202  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

When  it  is  put  upon  the  stove,  you  can 

Cook  it  anywhere  for  me  ;  and  when  it 's 

Cooked  place  it  on  the  table.     K  you  can't 

Do  that,  I  say  you  're  no  fire  at  all,  and 

Never  shall  cook  my  breakfast  any  how.' " 

Methinks  that  if  he  no  breakfast  could  get, 

Neither  dinner  or  supper,  until  this 

Same  fire  the  table  did  set,  he  would  soon 

Change  his  ditty,  and  with  his  own  hands  his 

Breakfast  would  place  above  the  contemptible 

Fire.     In  the  cases  we  cite  there 's  as  much 

Reason  and  sense  in  one  as  in  the  other. 

The  spirits,  in  one  way,  are  like  the  fire, 

They  cannot  do  another's  work  (a  volume 

Might  be  written  on  this  theme)  ;  unlike  the 

Fire,  they  can  sJiirh.     But  they  soon  do  find  it 's  of 

No  great  use,  for  their  work  will  never  be 

Done  until  they  do  it  themselves.     The  abuse 

Of  this  rule  finds  here  no  home.     You  can 

Therefore  judge  of  the  state  of  those  who  have 

Lived  in  idleness,  caring  only  for 

Pleasure  and  fine  clothes  ;  they  find  here  a 

Wilderness  from  which  they  must  work  their  way 

Out  before  much  society  they  '11  gain. 

They  find,  when  too  late,  that  their  earthly  career 

Causes  them  anguish  and  pain. 

"  And  he  said 
Unto  him.  If  they  hear  not  Moses  and 
The  prophets,  neither  will  they  be  persuaded. 
Though  one  rose  from  the  dead."     Few  spirits,  if 
Any,  will  condescend  to  waste  their  power  or 
Their  time  on  such  as  these,  though  always  ready 
And  willing  to  shower  gifts  of  love  their  friends 
To  please.     There  never  was  a  truer  saying 
Than  this  :  "A  man  convinced  against  his  will 
Is  of  the  same  opinion  still." 

"  An  unjust 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  203 

Man  is  an  abomination  to  the  just : 

And  he  that  is  upright  in  the  way  is 

Abomination  to  the  wicked."     But  the 

First  half  of  this  text  is  usually 

Digested  ;  the  world  readily  acknowledes 

The  fact,  — or,  rather,  opinion,  for  it 

Is  not  a  fact,  — that  the  just  hate  the  unjust, 

But  will  seldom,  even  unto  themselves, 

Acknowledge  that  they,  in  their  hearts,  despise 

The  upright,  for  it  gives  their  principles 

A  bad  look.     Whereas,  from  our  standpoint,  we 

See  the  text  is  unequally  balanced, 

The  scale  sinks  on  the  side  of  injustice. 

Why  ?     Is  justice  then  sentenced  ?     On  the 

Physical  plane  it  surely  is.     Extend 

Thy  vision  farther.     Behold  !  in  the  dust 

Injustice  and  lies;  opposite,  the  scale 

Hisrher  ascends.     Justice  and  truth  are  found 

Therein  :  they  rise  above  the  earthly  plane. 

'T  is  the  same  with  an  upright  man  :  him  no 

Narrow  views  confine.     Hates  he  any?     Indeed, 

He  would  not  stoop  so  low.     He  may,  and  does, 

Hate  their  sins.     His  love,  nevertheless,  extends 

To  all,  above,  below;  true  s^Tupathy 

And  kindness  in  his  bosom  reign. 

Brethren 
And  friends,  "let  every  soul  be  subject  unto 
The  higher  powers,  for  there  is  no  power  but 
Of  God  :  the  powers  that  be  are  ordained  of 
God."     I  know  your  thoughts.     I  will  not  use 
Deceitful  words,  neither  will  I  flatter 
With  my  tongue.     The  way  will  not  be  all  sunshine, 
Brothers,  so  long  as  ye  in  fleshly 
Tabernacles  dwell.     There  will  oft  be  times 
When  you  never  can  tell  Avhich  way  't  is  best  to 
Go  ;  but  cease  to  do  evil,  learn  to  do 
Well,  and  clearer  thy  path  will  grow. 


204  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

I  have 
Oft  to  my  God  with  anguished  speech  cried  in 
Bitterness  of  heart,  and  "  the  things  that  my 
Soul  refused  to  touch  were  as  my  sorrowful 
Meat "  ;  the  way  was  so  dark  that  I  could  not 
See.     With  David  can  I  exclaim,  "  Out  of 
The  depths  have  I  cried  unto  thee,  O  Lord : 
Lord,  hear  my  voice."     For  I  felt  in  mine  heart, 
"  The  Lord  will  hear  when  I  call  unto  him," 
As  a  dear  little  child  once  said.     I  oped  my 
Bible  as  one  in  a  dream.     These  were  the 
First  words  I  read  :  "  They  that  sow  in  tears  shall 
Eeap  in  joy.     He  that  goeth  forth  and  weepeth, 
Bearing  precious  seed,  shall  doubtless  come  again 
With  rejoicing,  bringing  his  sheaves  with  him." 
Did  the  Lord  hear?     A  spirit  within  said, 
Yea,  and  my  troubled  heart  e'en  then  did  rejoice. 
I  said,  "  In  thee  do  I  trust.     Cause  me  to 
Know  the  way  wherein  I  should  walk  ;  for  I 
Lift  up  my  soul  unto  thee.     Deliver 
Me,  O  Lord,  from  mine  enemies.     I  flee 
Unto  thee  to  hide  me.     Teach  me  to  do 
Thy  will ;  for  thou  art  my  God  :  thy  spirit  is 
Good  ;  lead  me  into  the  land  of  uprightness. 
Quicken  me,  O  Lord,  for  thy  name's  sake." 
Time  passed,  and  I  again  lost  faith  in  His  word. 
He  showed  me  not  where  to  go,  though  I  waited 
Patiently  for  the  Lord  :  He  inclined  not 
Unto  me.     I  said  in  mine  heart.  Why  doth 
God  forsake?     And  now.  Lord,  what  wait  I  for? 
The  answer  came  from  the  same  good  book, 
And  once  more  banished  my  fears  :  "  Lo,  I  come  : 
In  the  volume  of  the  book  it  is  written 
Of  me."     And  behold,  "  I  will  say  to  the 
North  give  up  ;  and  to  the  South  keep  not  back. 
Remember  ye  not  the  fonner  things,  neither 
Consider  the  things  of  old.     Behold,  I 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  205 

Will  do  a  new  thing ;  now  it  shall  spring  forth  ; 
Shall  ye  not  know  it?"     He  gave  me  sweet  peace, 
My  heart  was  at  rest.     My  spirit  had  been 
As  a  bird  that  wandereth  from  her  nest. 
Now,  thank  God  !  at  home  again  ;  and  he  hath 
Put  a  new  song  in  my  mouth,  even  praise 
Unto  our  God.     I  hope  I  '11  never  again 
Doubt  his  truth  or  disbelieve  his  sure  word. 
Though  he  slay  me,  yet  will  I  trust  in  him. 
For  he  hath  graciously  my  wants  supplied. 
Behold  now,  I  have  ordered  my  course.     I  know 
That  I  shall  be  justified. 

There 's  another  class 
"VYhich  I  must  not  slight :  their  name  is  Legion, 
I'm  told.     I  hope,  in  the  place  of  dark  they  '11 
Choose  light,  and  that  before  they  are  old.     These 
Are  the  philosophical  sceptics  (so  called). 
Alas  !  they  reject  the  sublimest  philosophy 
Of  all ;  like  the  Epicureans  and 
Stoics  who  encountered  St.  Paul,  and  some 
Said,  "What  w411  this  babbler  say?  other  some, 
He  seemeth  to  be  a  setter  forth  of 
Strange  gods."     One  comes  and  him  questioneth, 
Saying,  "  IMay  we  know  what  this  new  doctrine 
Whereof  thou  speakcst  is  ?  for  thou  bringest 
Certain  strange  things  to  our  ears  :  we  w^ould  know 
What  these  things  mean."    And  when  they  heard,  some 
Mocked.     Others  said,  "We  will  hear  thee  again 
Of  this  matter."     "  And  the  times  of  this  ignorance 
God  winked  at."     Think  you  he  ever  winks  now? 
But  the  triumphing  of  the  wicked  is  short. 
He  shall  not  have  quietness  ;  the  heaven  shall 
Reveal  his  iniquity  ;  the  earth  shall 
Rise  up  against  him  ;  that  which  he 
Labored  for  shall  he  restore,  and  shall  not 
Swallow  it  down.     He  shall  fly  away  as 
A  dream,  and  shall  not  be  found  :  yea. 


206  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

He  shall  be  chased  away  as  a  vision 

Of  the  night.     Now  I  have  told  you  before 

It  come  to  pass,  that,  when  it  is  come  to 

Pass,  ye  might  believe.     Let  the  priests,  the 

Ministers  of  the  Lord,  weep  between  the 

Porch  and  the  altar,  and  let  them  say,  spare 

Thy  people.     The  Lord  shall  utter  his  voice, 

"And  it  shall  come  to  pass  afterward,  that 

I  will  pour  out  my  spirit  upon  all 

Flesh  ;  and  your  sons  and  your  daughters  shall 

Prophesy,  your  old  men  shall  dream  dreams,  your 

Young  men  shall  see  visions."     Surely  the  Lord 

God  will  do  nothing,  but  he  revealeth 

His  secret  unto  his  servants  the  propltets. 

Fear  not,  O  land,  be  glad  and  rejoice  :  for 

The  Lord  wall  do  great  things.     Put  ye  in 

The  sickle,  for  the  harvest  is  ripe  :  come, 

Get  you  down  :  let  the  weak  say,  I  am  strong. 

Multitudes,  multitudes  in  the  valley 

Of  deci^on  :  for  the  day  of  the  Lord 

Is  near  in  the  valley  of  decision. 

"  I  the  Lord  have  brought  down  the  high  tree,  have 

Exalted  the  low  tree,  have  dried  up  the 

Green  tree,  and  have  made  the  dry  tree  to  flourish : 

I  the  Lord  have  spoke  and  have  done  it." 

Friends, 
If  we  have  spoken  well,  thank  God,  and  bear 
Ye  witness  of  it.     Your  attention  still 
For  a  little  space  we  kindly  ask.     Turn 
Back,  we  pray,  read  the  first  four  lines  with 
Which  this  piece  doth  commence.     And  as  ye 
Do  read,  inwardly  digest.     From  this  you 
May  learn  somewhat  the  opinion  of  the 
Spirits  progressed  to  a  higher,  holier 
State.     Do  such  as  these  come  to  man's  weakness 
Down?     On  one  condition  only,  —  that  they 
By  pure  and  loving  hearts  be  drawn ;  they  come 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  207 

Then  most  willingly,  nor  scorn  the  suppliant's 

Cry.     They  come  because  of  the  good  they  may 

Render  ;  their  whispers  soft  are  borne  on  the 

Breeze  to  loved  ones  true  and  tender  ;  they  come 

To  those  whose  souls  do  upward  tend  ;  their  aim 

To  interest  the  same.     Good  angels  love  dearly 

Their  help  to  lend  to  aspiring  minds  that 

Come  and  diligently  seek  from  them  to 

Learn  to  walk  in  the  path  sublime,  —  the  path 

Which  the  good  and  the  blest  have  given  the 

Waymarks  of  truth  from  time  immemorial. 

To  you  who  may  this  peruse,  if  you  an 

Interest  take  beyond  the  purpose  yourselves 

To  amuse,  I  wish  a  few  things  to  state 

In  language  simple  and  plain.     If  you  would 

Pure  satisfaction  derive  from  your  communings 

With  the  angel  world,  you  positively 

Must  strive  to  seek  those  things  which  are  dbove^ 

Instead  of  bringing  the  angels  down  to 

The  things  which  you  in  earth  life  need,  which  things 

Yourselves  can  obtain,  and  that  without  the 

Aid  of  those  who  icould  their  higher  knoivledge 

Impart  for  your  advancement  and  your  soiU's 

Good.     Such  converse  satisfies  the  heart. 

Imagine,  dear  friends,  how  a  spirit  pure, 

Inspired  with  a  wish  to  aid  its  own  loved 

Ones  below,  would  feel,  to  hear  from  their  lips 

Such  questions  as  these  :  Tell  me  what  o'clock 

I  will  have  dinner  to-day  if  you  can. 

How  many  cathartic  pills  shall  I  take  ? 

How  soon  will  the  clothes  get  dry  ?    AYliat  's  the  price 

Of  pork  in  Simpson's  market  ?    How  many 

Days  make  a  week  ?    Have  I  a  scar  on  my 

Neck? 

Are  these,  my  friends,  the  glorious  truths 
You  seek  ?  Have  you  no  higher  aim  ?  Think  you 
Your  friend's  intellect  has  grown  weak  in  that 


208  THE  UNSEALED   BOOK. 

Holy,  happy  clime  ?    You  surely  would  not 

Such  simple  questions  put  were  he  or  she 

In  the  form.     K  you  from  them  require  a 

Xest,  —  perfectly  right,  we  are  advised  to 

"Try  the  spirits,"  —  if  good,  they  will  seek  to 

Benefit  mankind,  showing  a  friendly 

Spirit  toward  all.     "  By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know 

Them."     This  is  true  of  disembodied  spirits 

As  well.     Their  words  and  their  teachings  will  show 

According  to  their  merits.     The  laws  of 

God  and  nature  they  cannot  overleap. 

Neither  can  you.    Therefore,  friends,  "  it  is  high 

Time  to  awake  out  of  sleep,"  more  on  yourselves 

To  depend  :  the  night  is  far  spent,  the  day 

Is  at  hand.     Let  us  cast  off  the  works  of 

Darkness,  and  let  us  put  on  the  armor 

Of  light,  remembering 

"  'T  is  better  that  souls  should  upward  tend, 

And  strive  for  the  victor's  crown, 
Than  to  ask  the  angels  their  help  to  lend, 

And  come  to  man's  weakness  down." 

"  Now,  as  one  mind  in  the  body  in  a  positive  condition  of  elec- 
tricity can  perceive  and  influence  another  mind  in  the  body  in  a 
negative  condition  of  electricity,  both  in  rapport  with  each  other, 
and  all  this  without  the  use  of  any  of  the  corporeal  senses,  so  a 
spirit  out  of  the  body,  in  a  positive  condition  of  electricity,  can 
perceive  and  influence  a  spirit  or  mind  in  the  body,  in  a  negative 
condition,  and  both  in  rapport,  independent  of  physical  organism 
in  both  cases.  This  electricity,  from  the  Greek  for  amber  (a  res- 
inous substance),  in  which  it  was  first  discovered  by  the  great 
Thales  of  Miletus,  twenty-five  hundred  years  ago,  be  it  remem- 
bered, is  an  universally  diffused,  subtle,  imponderable,  and  myste- 
rious element  of  mind  and  matter.  Some  of  us  are  in  this  negative 
impressible  condition  naturally;  all  of  us  may  become  so  by  prac- 
tice and  persevering  effort.  All  such,  whether  natural  or  ac- 
quired, are  called  medium  (properly,  perhaps,  the  plural  should 
be  media,  according  to  the  Latin  idiom).    Through  a  piogressed 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  209 

and  practised  medium,  — for  we  progress  and  attain  proficiency  in 
this  as  in  everything  else,  —  a  spirit  or  angel,  formerly  of  the  flesh, 
but  now  in  the  spirit  world  round  about  us,  can  speak,  write,  or 
perform  what  would  be  called  miracles,  or  attributed  to  conjura- 
tion, prestigiation,  necromancy,  sorcery,  legerdemain,  jugglery, 
witchcraft,  humbug,  demonism,  electricity,  or  odyllic  force,  by  the 
ignorant  tr  wicked.  They  are  made  to  speak  in  tongues  entirely 
unknown  to  the  medium,  such  as  Hebrew,  Greek,  French,  Italian, 
etc.,  and  write  in  the  precise  hand  of  others,  deceased  and  un- 
known to  them.  They  are  made  to  perform  in  the  most  masterly 
manner  on  the  piano,  flute,  guitar,  and  other  instruments,  to 
which  they  were  perfect  strangers,  and  execute  pieces  of  music 
of  which  they  knew  nothing.  The  experienced,  progressed,  and 
proficient  mediums  have  an  internal,  direct,  mental  communica- 
tion, independent  of  the  temporal  or  physical  sensorium,  and  thus 
see,  and  feel,  and  converse  with  their  spirit  friends,  through  this 
mystic  medium  of  mentality,  with  as  much  certainty  and  celerity 
as  with  their  friends  in  the  flesh,  and  much  more  interest,  satis- 
faction, and  pleasure.  You  know  that,  in  electricity,  two  positive 
conditions  repel,  as  well  as  the  negatives  repel,  each  other.  All 
creations,  from  the  most  infinitesimal  inorganic  atom  to  man, 
the  highest  development  of  the  earth  plane,  and  no  doubt  through- 
out the  solar,  stellar,  and  all  astronomic  creations,  are  endowed 
with  two  principles  of  electricity,  positive  and  negative,  or  oppo- 
eite  magnetic  polarities,  the  similar  of  which  repel,  and  dissimilar 
attract,  each  other ;  or  endowed  with  two  opposite  sexes,  positive 
and  negative,  the  dissimilar  of  which,  like  the  other  electric  priu- 
cijiles,  have  an  affinity  for  each  other,  —  the  Iho  and  Ilohi,  the 
male  and  female,  and  the  Elohi  and  Eloho,  the  good  and  evil 
principle  of  the  ancient  Gymnasophists.  One  person  iu  the  posi- 
tive condition  of  electricity  can  perceive  and  influence  another 
person  in  the  negative  to  him,  when  in  rapport  with  each  other, 
and  all  their  conditions  harmonious,  regardless  of  intervening 
clothes,  flesh,  brick  walls,  or  distance. 

This  is  effectuated  through  the  all-pervading,  omnipresent,  uni- 
versal element  or  agent  that  permeates  every  atom,  as  Avell  as  all. 
space,  —  there  is  really  no  vacant  space,  for  this  element  fills  up. 
all  that  might  seem  such,  — an  extremely  attenuated  and  refined 
electricity  or  subtle  fluid,  which  we  call  electro-ether,  which  we 
cannot  perceive  through  our  physical  senses,  any  more  than  we 


210  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

can  see  sound,  hear  light,  or  feel  either,  or  taste,  smell,  or  in  any 
other  sensual  way  perceive  magnetism.  Now,  in  Just  this  way, 
through  this  agent,  this  great  nerve  power  of  the  universe,  ex- 
carnated  men  communicate  with  incarnated  men.  Here  is  the 
philosophy  in  oiuce.  The  receptive  medium,  isolated  from  all 
surroundings,  is  negative  to,  and  comes  in  rapport  with,  the  ex- 
carnated  spirit,  who  then  controls  and  uses  the  physical  organism 
of  the  medium  at  will,  just  as  the  psychological  operator  controlled 
and  used  the  persons  already  described. 

Why  are  these  certain  conditions  necessary,  you  ask.  If  it  can  be 
done  by  one  excarnated  to  one  incarnated,  why  not  by  all  the  former 
and  to  all  the  latter  ?  I  ask  in  return,  why  not  thus  among  men 
in  the  flesh,  iu  mesmerism,  clairvoyance,  psychology  ?  But  we 
know  it  is  not :  only  hy  and  to  certain  persons  in  certain  condi- 
tions. And  this  is  in  strict  accordance  with  all  the  known  analo- 
gies of  nature.  In  all  its  elemental  operations  nature  is  very 
exact  and  specific.  Eight  parts  of  oxygen  and  one  of  hydrogen, 
by  weight,  or  one  of  oxygen  to  two  of  hydrogen,  by  measure,  and 
no  other  proportions,  will  make  pure  water.  The  seed  will  not 
germinate  except  in  certain  conditions  of  heat  and  moisture;  the 
lightning  will  not  leap  forth  except  in  certain  conditions  of  posi- 
tive and  negative.  It  is  only  on  certain  and  propitious  conditions 
that  the  human  race  is  elaborated  and  perpetuated.  Why  does  it 
require  a  metallic  wire  instead  of  a  tow-string  to  make  a  tele- 
graph ?  And  why  has  that  wire  to  be  insulated  from  all  other 
conductors  ?  Just  as  the  spirit  medium  has  to  be  isolated  from  all 
other  distractions  ?  And  hear  what  the  wise  man  of  the  Bible 
says  on  this  point,  who  wrote  as  if  he  fully  understood  it :  '  There 
is  no  man  that  hath  power  over  the  spirit  to  retain  the  spirit.' 
And  Jesus  showed  himself  not  to  all,  but  only  a  few  chosen  wit- 
nesses, etc. 

Eapport  is  a  French  word,  and  is  defined  relation  or  affinity.  I 
use  it  to  mean  a  peculiar  nervous  affinity  or  congenial  mental 
sympathy.  I  may  come  into  rapport  with  you,  by  bringing  my 
nerve  system  into  harmony  with  yours,  and  yours  with  mine ;  in 
this  condition,  if  I  am  in  the  negative,  if  you  have  a  pain  any- 
where, I  will  feel  the  same  pain,  the  same  where ;  this  is  the  prin- 
ciple of  spiritual  inspiration.  Two  strings  of  equal  length,  size, 
kind,  and  tension  will  both  vibrate  together  in  perfect  unison,  if 
but  one  is  touched  and  sounded  by  the  hand :  it  will  communicate 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  211 

its  vibration  tlirough  the  intervening  atmosphere  to  the  other, 
and  thus  cause  it  to  vibrate  in  perfect  unison  with  itself.     This  is 
harmony.     Again  it  is  said,  that  two  strings  equal  in  every  respect, 
except  that  one  is  fixed  permanently,  and  the  other  so  strung  as 
to  be  capable  of  yielding,  when  the  fixed  one  is  constantly  vibra- 
ted, the  other,  receiving  the  vibrations  through  the  air,  will  after 
a  while  adapt  itself  to  the  same,  and  vibrate  in  unison.    We  know 
that  the  strings  of  a  violin,  when  kept  constantly  in  tune,  will 
sound  and  accord  much  better  than  when  left  in  a  contrary  con- 
dition ;  and  also  that  one  sound,  as  of  thunder,  for  example,  will 
affect  the  glass,  another  the  window  frames,  another  the  house, 
etc.,  varying  not  in  volume  and  power,  but  in  some  other  peculi- 
arity, and  seeming  to  receive  ready  response  from  those  objects 
only  which  are  in  unison  in  this  peculiarity.     It  is  said,  that  fine 
sand  spread  in  a  thin  layer  over  a  thin  sheet  of  membrane,  drawn 
tightly  over  a  wineglass,  will  form  regular  lines  and  figures,  with 
astonishing  celerity,  varying  with  the  sound.     Sir  Isaac  Xewton 
discovered  that  the  prismatic  rays  of  light  correspond  in  perfect 
harmony  with  the  diatonic  scale  of  music.     And  see  the  various 
effects  of  music  upon  men.     In  some  it  excites  a  martial  ambi- 
tion;  in  others,  a  sweet  serenity;  in  yet  others  and  by  far  the 
greatest  number  it  excites  mirth  and  hilarity,  and  starts  the  feet 
instinctively  to  dancing.     Much  is  due  to  the  character  of  the 
music,  I  admit,  in  exciting  these  various  emotions,  but  more  to 
the  character  of  the  mind  or  subject.     A  certain  kind  of  music 
will  arouse  one  person  and  a  dillcrcnt  kind  another ;  but  all  will 
be  touched  or  stirred  in  the  predominating  characteristic.     This 
again  is  harmony;  and  harmony  is  one  fundamental,  if  not  the 
fundamental  principle  of  the  universe.    Pythagoras,  twent3--three 
centuries  ago,  saw  this,  and  believed  the  spheres  made  music  in 
their  revolutions;   and  by  the  way,  this  illustrious  and  illumi- 
nated man  not  only  first  discovered  the  circulation  of  blood,  but 
was  the  first  who  taught  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  under  the 
appellation  and  theory  of  metempsychosis,  though  he  lived  con- 
temporaneous with  some  of  the  later  prophets.     We  also  know 
that  the  magnetic  needle,  when  allowed  to  rest  with  the  proper 
polar  point  to  the  north,  will  remain  more  true  and  reliable  than 
when  left  in  any  other  position.     Thus,  also,  if  a  straight  bar  of 
soft  iron  be  held  in  a  nearly  vertical  position,  with  the  lower  end 
deviating  to  the  north,  and  struck  several  times  with  a  hammer, 


212  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

it  will  acquire  the  properties  of  a  magnet;  and  if  the  iron  be 
pure  and  soft  and  the  experiment  repeated,  it  will  become  thor- 
oughly magnetized  ;  but  soft  iron  will  not  retain  the  magnetism 
like  hard  or  impure  iron,  of  which  consists  the  permanent  native 
magnet.  Magnetism  is  another  form  of  electricity,  the  similar 
properties  of  which  repel,  and  the  dissimilar  attract  each  other. 
From  these  illustrations  we  may  derive  one  reason  for  the  rapid 
proficiency  of  practical  mediums  over  those  out  of  practice,  or 
out  of  tune,  or  not  in  the  proper  harmonic  condition ;  and  also 
analogical  demonstration  of  mediumistic  educability.  The  pow- 
ers of  a  medium,  like  those  of  a  magnet,  are  impaired  or  lost  by 
disuse  ;  and  as  heat  weakens  or  destroys  the  powers  of  a  magnet, 
so  it  does  those  of  a  medium. 

In  connection  with  this  let  us  remember  that  electricity  itself 
is  cold.  The  chemical  result  of  fire  on  combustible  substances, 
as,  for  instance,  when  lightning  strikes  and  sets  fire  to  a  tree,  is 
caused  by  intense  mechanical  friction,  like  the  instantaneous  and 
powerful  impact  of  a  cannon-bull.  This  subtle  and  tremendous 
agent  possesses  both  mechanical  and  chemical  powers  physically, 
and  mental  or  spiritual  power  metaphysically,  or  at  least  is  an 
agent  of  the  latter.  And  as  nothing  affects  the  magnet  but  those 
things  for  which  it  has  an  affinity,  so  nothing  affects  a  medium 
but  those  spirits  for  whom  it  has  an  affinity;  and,  further,  as 
nothing  is  impervious  to  the  penetration  or  prevents  the  flow  and 
action  of  the  electro-spirit-ether.  This  mesmeric  magnetism  is 
destined  yet  to  develop  more  startling  wonders  in  the  grand 
economy  of  creation.  You  should  not  be  astonished  at  my  asser- 
tion that  there  is  a  galvanic,  mesmeric  (so  called  because  discov- 
ered by  Galvani  and  Mesmer),  magnetic,  electric,  ethereal  medium 
of  spirit  pervading  our  entire  planetary  system,  and  probably 
solar  system,  and  perhaps  all  systems,  when  I  inform  you  that, 
according  to  Farraday,  the  variations  of  our  magnetic  needle 
correspond  with  the  variations  of  the  spots  in  the  sun ;  that  the 
periodicity  of  both  these  variations  has  become  a  visible  fact; 
both  increase  or  decrease  together,  embracing  a  period  of  ten 
years;  thus  establishing  solar,  stellar,  and  terrestrial  magnetism 
in  mutual  and  reciprocal  connection.  All  these  subtile  refined 
media  move  by  undulatory,  vibratory,  or  pulsatory  wave  move- 
ment, as  light,  sound,  heat,  electricity,  the  magnetic  polarization 
with  which  all  bodies  and  atoms  are  endowed :  and  just  so  moves 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  213 

our  nervous  fluid  throngli  which  mind  operates  upon  mind  in  or 
out  of  the  flesh ;  and  just  so  moves  the  vital  current  of  our  ani- 
mal organism.  Thus  when  my  nerve  fluid  vibrates  in  unison 
with  yours,  as  two  musical-  strings  in  accord,  we  are  in  rapport 
with  each  other.  This  is  spiritual  harmonic  unison.  The  oper- 
ator, in  mesmerizing  his  subject,  becomes  positive  to  the  subject, 
and  will  succeed  as  soon  as  he  comes  into  rapjsort  with  him,  in 
unisonant  nervous  vibration,  and  never  before.  Just  so  v/ith  the 
excarnated  spirit  and  earthly  medium,  the  latter  being  negative 
and  receptive,  quiescent  and  plastic,  completely  subject  to  the 
positive  will  of  the  spirit.  Some  of  us  are  naturally  in  this  con- 
dition to  some  other  person  either  in  or  out  of  the  flesh ;  all  may 
become  so  by  proper  effort,  —  not  effort  of  positive,  energetic 
action,  but  of  calm,  quiescent,  confiding  condition  of  pure,  sin- 
cere desire  of  good.  This  is  the  condition  of  prayer.  Xot  to 
inform  or  dictate  to  God,  to  change  his  mind,  his  will,  his  laws, 
or  in  any  way  interfere  with  his  plans  or  his  providence;  for  it 
is  simply  impious  and  ridiculous  to  attempt  it.  Nor  can  the 
Deity  thus  violate  his  own  laws  or  *  nature  of  things,'  and  gratify 
our  ignorant  and  selfish  petitions,  for  God  cannot  lie.  Bat  in 
fervent  silence  and  sincerity,  in  negative  and  receptive  condition 
of  feelings,  with  exulted  aspirations  for  the  good  and  the  true, 
with  all  the  outside  world  and  its  selfish  animalities  shut  out 
from  the  soul,  and  thoughts  and  desires  lifted  up  after  higher 
spheres,  some  pure  spirit  from  those  higher  spheres,  in  sympa- 
thetic unison,  will  come  and  comfort  us  and  enlighten  and  lift 
us  up  and  communicate  through  the  mystic  medium  of  in.-^pira- 
tion.  This  is  true  prayer  and  *  availeth  much.'  If  we  would 
have  the  influx  of  inspiration  from  pure  spirits,  we  must  become 
pure  ourselves;  we  must  bring  ourselves  up  to  this  high  ])lane, 
that  higher  angels  may  reach  us.  You  know  the  direction 
was  not  to  go  into  the  public  houses  and  do  tall  talking  and  big 
blowing,  but  retire  in  the  silence  and  sincerity  of  the  soul,  lifting 
up  fervent  aspirations  for  higher  influences.  The  reason  Moses 
was  not  taught  and  elevated  as  Avas  Socrates  and  the  man  of  Naz- 
areth to  return  good  for  evil,  is  because  he  did  not  occupy  the 
high  plane  of  inspiration.  In  the  words  of  Tiffany,  '  Paul,  Peter, 
John,  etc.,  were  not  equal  to  their  Master,  because  they  had  not 
attained  his  elevated  condition  of  natural  harmonic  develoi)mcnt; 
had  they  occupied  his  pure  plane,  God  could  have  communicated 


214  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

to  them  as  well  as  to  their  teacher ;  and  it  would  not  have  been 
necessary  for  them  to  have  a  middle  man  to  come  betM^een  them 
and  God.  'When  you  have  risen  to  this  plane  of  communication, 
the  communication  is  internal.  You  have  no  outward  form  of 
expression,  because  you  have  the  thought  itself  by  inspiration. 
In  the  language  of  the  apostle,  God  writes  his  language  in  your 
understandings  and  in  your  affections.  All  communications  with 
the  spirit  world  proceeding  according  to  this  law,  each  man's 
communication  will  be  according  to  his  plane;  if  in  the  low  plane 
of  lust,  his  communications  will  be  of  that  character;  if  in  love, 
his  communications  will  be  of  that  character.  But  even  the 
lowest,  by  putting  himself  in  the  condition  of  prayer,  by  aspiring 
for  the  good  and  the  holy,  by  putting  up  earnest  petitions  for 
aid,  will  always  find  a  spirit  near  to  sustain  and  elevate  him.' 
Generally,  men  will  pray  when  there  is  need  for  it ;  it  is  as  natu- 
ral to  invoke  the  help  of  higher  and  purer  powers  when  we  re- 
quire it,  as  it  is  to  call  for  food  when  hungry.  Generally,  I  say, 
but  not  invariably,  for  exceptional  cases  occur  here,  as  well  as  in 
all  of  nature's  operations.  As  a  morbid  condition  of  the  physical 
system  sometimes  feels  no  hunger  when  the  system  requires  food, 
and  at  others  craves  food  when  it  is  not  required,  so,  in  the  mor- 
bid condition  of  a  sin-seared  man.  he  feels  not  the  disposition  of 
praying  for  superior  help  when  he  really  needs  it,  and  in  others, 
prays  intensely  for  supernal  aid,  when  he  is  guilty  of  no  heinous 
sin,  and  no  such  supervenient  help  is  needed." 

From  "  Spiritualism  Explained  "  the  following :  "  Did  I  wish 
to  communicate  with  a  spirit,  who  has  unfolded  in  him  a  spirit 
consciousness,  which  can  be  addressed  in  any  other  way  than 
through  the  physical  eye,  or  ear,  or  touch,  and  being  so  divested 
of  this  physical  form,  that  my  mind  comes  in  absolute  contact 
with  this  spirit  medium,  which  permeates  all  space,  and  which 
internally  and  spiritually  corresponds  to  light  external  and  phys- 
ical, and  passes  through  bodies  opaque  to  light,  —  then  my  spirit 
form  acts  upon  the  spirit  medium,  which  is  not  impeded  by  this 
wall,  but  which  passes  through  it  as  light  through  transparent 
glass,  carrying  my  image  with  it.  We  say  that  glass  is  transpar- 
ent, because  light  passes  freely  through  it,  and  brings  the  image 
of  that  which  it  would  represent.  We  see  an  individual  or  ten 
[images]  coming  freely  through  the  glass  into  the  room.     Now, 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  215 

if  we  have  a  medium  wliich  will  pass  as  freely  through  a  board, 
then  that  board  is  as  transparent  to  that  medium  as  glass  is  to 
light.  The  magnetic  medium  by  which  the  magnetic  needle  is 
influenced  passes  freely  through  a  board  even ;  therefore  to  that 
medium  the  board  is  as  transparent  as  glass  is  to  light.  It  is  also 
well  to  understand  that  this  nerve  medium,  as  well  as  the  spirit- 
ual medium  corresponding  to  the  mind,  —  which  is  to  the  mind 
what  the  medium  of  light  is  to  the  eye,  —  passes  freely  through 
these  opaque  bodies.  Therefore  the  individual  brought  in  con- 
tact with  this  medium  will  sec  spirit  existences,  not  by  their  pres- 
ence in  the  consciousness,  but  by  that  which  represents  the  pres- 
ence there.  Hence  it  is  that  the  clairvoyant  (when  you  have 
proceeded  with  your  manifestation,  until  you  have  insulated  the 
mind,  or  brought  it  into  clear  rapport vfith.  this  spiritual  medium 
or  atmosophere,  so  that  he  sees  by  the  spiritual  sight,  and  hears 
by  the  spiritual  ear,  and  no  longer  sees  with  the  physical  eye,  or 
hears  with  the  physical  ear)  comes  in  contact  with  this  spiritual 
medium,  and  can  look  out  into  another  room  and  tell  what  is 
transpiring,  who  is  there,  etc.,  just  us  we  can  look  through  glass 
and  tell  what  we  see.  Tlie  principle  is  precisely  the  same.  The 
medium  by  which  he  perceives  things  in  another  room  freely 
permeates  or  passes  through  the  intervening  walls ;  so  that  al- 
thougli  my  spiritual  form  is  still  in  this  body,  yet  it  is  actually 
exerting  its  influence  on  this  spiritual  medium  throughout  the 
world,  —  throughout  not  only  this  world,  but  throughout  the  solar 
system. 

Wherever  this  spiritual  medium  extends,  this  spiritual  image 
of  mine  is  taken  and  carried  out  through  that  medium,  just  as 
my  i)hysical  image  is  carried  out  through  the  medium  of  light ; 
and  whoever  comes  into  rapport  with  that  spirit  medium  and  in- 
fluence, and  undulates  to  the  same  motion,  will  perceive  that  form. 
Hence,  coming  into  the  clairvoyant  condition,  I,  being  in  New 
York,  may  see  a  person  in  London  or  Pckin,  if  it  so  happen  that 
the  undulation  of  my  mind  on  this  medium  be  such  as  to  har- 
monize with  that  of  the  individual  in  London  or  Pckin  ;  not  tliat 
his  spirit  is  personally  here  present,  or  my  spirit  personally  present 
there  (but  I  am  hero  in  my  spirit  consciousness,  and  he  there  in 
his  spirit  consciousness),  but  because  his  image  as  well  as  mine  is 
here,  and  there,  and  everywhere  else.  The  idea  that  my  mind 
goes  to  London,  or  his  comes  here,  is  altogether  a  misconception. 


216  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

I  perceive  that  individual  in  London,  not  by  Lis  absolute  pres- 
ence, but  by  that  which  represents  that  presence  here;  just  as  I 
see  you,  not  by  your  presence  in  my  mind,  but  by  that  which  rep- 
resents your  presence  there.  I  am  looking  on  tliis  congregation, 
and  therefore  the  person  seeing  me  sees  me  surrounded  by  this 
congregation.  He  does  not  see  you,  but  since  you  are  in  my  mind, 
your  image  goes  with  mine.  The  person  coming  into  rapport 
with  me  sees. you  as  your  image  exists  in  my  mind.  If  any  one 
doubts  this  law,  I  am  ready  to  be  questioned.  Bring  up  any  case 
you  please,  either  from  the  temporal  or  spiritual  world,  and  I  will 
show  that  this  is  the  law.  It  is  a  fallacious  idea  that  spirits  can- 
not communicate  without  being  actually  present  and  at  any  other 
place  at  the  same  time.  They  can  be  present  whenever  there  is  a 
mind  in  rapport  with  them  to  see  that  presence. 

People  talk  about  their  being  so  rapid  in  their  passage  from 
here  to  Boston  or  London,  etc.     This  is  all  explained  when  you 
understand  the  law  of  manifestation.     '  Why  are  not  all  medi- 
ums?'    'Why  cannot  all  get  communications,  and  at  all  times?' 
etc.     If  we  wish  to  get  a  communication,  we  must  conform  to  the 
conditions  required  by  the  law :  and  if  we  do  not  conform  to  these 
conditions,  God  himself  could  not  give  it  to  us.     The  laws  of 
manifestation  and  communication  are  as  fixed  and  immutable  as 
God's  own  being.     I  was  once  one  of  those  things  called  medi- 
ums, and  am  now  perhaps  to  some  extent;  when  I  was  partially 
asleep  there  would  be  very  loud  raps,  and  if  you  could  come  in 
without  waking  me  up,  you  might  get  a  communication:  and  it 
has  ever  been  so  when  I  am  peculiarly  quiet  mentally,  but  the 
moment  I  rouse  up  and  ask  questions,  I  can  get  no  reply.    There 
are  others  who  require  exactly  opposite  conditions,  whose  bodies 
are  too  active  for  their  minds,  in  whose  presence  you  can  get  rap- 
pings,  by  reducing  the  action  of  the  body  ;  but  change  them  from 
that  point,  the  manifestation  ceases.     There  are  others,  who  in 
the  normal  state  seem  to  comply  with  all  the  conditions  neces- 
sary :  that  is,  whose  vital  and  nervous  systems  are  the  same ;  but 
you  stir  or  excite  them  any  way,  and  the  manifestations  cease,  sim- 
ply because  there  is  no  harmonic  action  between  the  mental  and 
physical  system.    Persons  boast  at  times  of  being  able  to  destroy 
the  power  of  mediums ;  but  nothing  could  be  simpler,  for  a  pow- 
erful battery  may  have  its  action  stopped,  by  lifting  out  the  con- 
necting wire.     It  is  often  the  case,  that  the  entrance  of  a  person 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  217 

into  a  circle  where  manifestations  are  occurring  causes  their 
discontinuance,  and  the  person  is  perhaps  astonished  to  think  the 
spirits  should  be  so  contrary ;  it  was  simply  because  he  had  come 
in,  and  violated  the  conditions  by  which  they  could  manifest ;  he 
had,  so  to  speak,  disturbed  one  of  the  plates  of  the  battery.  One 
class  of  individuals  in  the  sphere  of  lust,  in  what  we  call  the  low 
and  polluted  plane,  cannot  come  into  rapport  with  those  occupy- 
ing a  higher  plane.  '  There  is  an  impassable  gulf  between  them.' 
It  is  useless  to  open  doors  or  windows  for  spirits  to  enter,  for  a 
door  is  as  transparent  to  the  medium  by  which  they  are  repre- 
sented, as  a  pane  of  glass  is  to  the  medium  of  light.  Jesus  appeared 
in  the  midst  of  his  disciples,  though  they  were  shut  up ;  and  when 
the  time  came  for  his  disappearance,  he  ceased  to  be  seen,  not  by 
going  out  of  the  door  or  window,  but  by  disturbing  the  conditions 
by  which  he  was  represented  in  their  consciousness.  In  respect  of 
spirit  mansions,  etc.,  in  the  spiritual  world,  we  are  very  liable  to 
mistake  representation  for  actuality ;  we  are  very  liable  to  mistake 
images  of  things,  creations,  so  to  speak,  proceeding  from  the 
minds  of  the  spirits,  for  actualities.  We  are  very  apt  to  perceive 
animals ;  some  think  that  animals  have  a  living  form,  and  exist 
in  the  spiritual  world :  but  I  pretend  to  say  it  is  not  true  ;  I  know 
very  well  how  they  appear  there:  I  know  very  well  how  it  is  that 
persons  suppose  they  do  exist,  and  why  spirits  in  the  spiritual 
world  appear  to  have  their  dogs,  cats,  —  their  pet  animals.  The 
condition  of  immortality  cannot  pertain  to  the  mere  animal  being. 
The  representations  of  animals,  forests,  fields,  and  things  of  this 
kind  have  no  basis  upon  that  which  has  a  material  or  actual  ex- 
istence in  the  universe  ;  they  are  only  developed  under  the  law  of 
representation  ;  if  you  will  only  investigate  the  law  of  represen- 
tation, you  will  have  no  difficulty  in  accounting  for  these  things 
in  the  spiritual  world." 

Again  :  ''  When  1  go  to  the  spirit  world,  I  must  take  that  with 
me,  of  which  I  must  be  conscious,  else  I  shall  not  take  my  individ- 
uality with  me,  else  I  become  annihilated.  Just  to  the  extent  I 
leave  my  affections  behind  me,  shall  I  be  annihilated  as  a  si)iritual 
being.  AVheu  I  go  to  the  s})iritual  world,  I  must  take  my  charac- 
ter with  me,  that  which  is  made  an  integral  part  of  my  spiritual 
character  by  its  development  in  me ;  of  course  then,  wherever  I 
go  that  must  go;  the  love  that  rules  within  me  must  go  with  me, 
until  that  ruling  love  is  changed,  or  until  some  holier  love  shall 


218  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

call  me  to  a  higher  plane  of  action.  I  am  prepared  to  maintain 
that  when  we  go  to  the  spiritual  world,  we  shall  take  with  us  all 
the  loves,  aifections,  thoughts,  feelings,  and  sentiments  which 
characteize  us  as  individual  beings. 

The  idea  that  when  a  spirit  leaves  the  body  he  gets  rid  of  all 
his  impurity,  has  caused  many  to  greatly  venerate  spiritual  com- 
munications, and  attach  to  them  much  authority.  I  remember 
that  it  was  with  much  deference  that  I  listened  to  the  first  commu- 
nications that  came  from  the  spirit  world  ;  but  I  very  soon  learned 
that  a  spirit  was  not  necessarily  wiser  because  of  his  separation 
from  the  body.  Not  that  they  are  below  the  world  ;  for  when  you 
have  taken  an  average  of  the  justice  and  wisdom  of  the  world,  you 
will  find  that  the  standard  it  could  set  up  would  not  be  very  high. 
When  you  look  over  the  earth  and  witness  the  very  low  state  of 
character  of  the  human  race  here,  why  should  you  wonder  that 
spirits  of  a  very  low  character  should  hover  around  us  and  mani- 
fest themselves  to  the  world  ?  " 

And  again  :  "  I  know  that  spirits  do  communicate,  do  exist. 
It  is  not  with  me  a  matter  of  conjecture  at  all;  I  kisow  it,"  etc. 

Quotations  from  "Spiritualism  Scientifically  Demonstrated.''^ 

"  The  facts  which  I  have  noticed  in  relation  to  mediumship  are 
certainly  among  the  most  inexplicable  in  nature. 

There  are  two  modes  in  whish  spiritual  manifestations  are 
made,  through  the  influence  or  sub-agency  of  media.  In  the  one 
mode,  they  employ  the  tongue  to  speak,  the  fingers  to  write,  or 
hands  to  actuate  tables  or  instruments  for  communication  ;  in  the 
other,  they  act  upon  ponderable  matter  directly,  through  a  halo 
or  aura  appertaining  to  media  ;  so  that  although  the  muscular 
power  may  be  incapacitated  for  aiding  them,  they  will  cause  a  body 
to  move,  or  produce  raps  intelligibly,  so  as  to  select  letters  convey- 
ing their  ideas,  uninfluenced  by  those  of  the  medium. 

Eappings  or  tappings  are  made  at  the  distance  of  many  feet 
from  the  medium,  and  ponderable  bodies,  such  as  bells,  are  moved 
or  made  to  undergo  the  motion  requisite  to  being  rung.  My  spirit 
father,  in  reply  to  the  queries  put  in  relation  to  this  mystery, 
asks,  '  How  do  you  move  your  limbs,  carry  the  body  wherever  it 
goeth?  How  does  God  cause  the  movements  of  astronomical 
orbs  ? '  Evidently  some  instrument  must  intervene  between  the 
Divine  will  and  the  bodies  actuated  thereby,  and  in  humble  imita- 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  219 

tions  between  the  human  will  and  the  limbs.  Upon  the  viscera 
our  will  has  no  influence.  The  heart  moves  without  the  exercise 
of  volition- 
It  is  evident,  from  the  creative  power  which  the  spirits  avow 
themselves  to  possess,  that  they  exercise  faculties  which  they  do 
not  understand.  Their  explanation  of  the  mysteries  of  medium- 
ship  only  substitutes  one  mystery  for  another.  The  only  explana- 
tion which  I  can  conceive  is,  that  spirits,  by  volition,  can  deprive 
bodies  of  vis  inerticB,  and  move  bodies,  as  they  do  themselves,  by 
their  will.  But  the  necessity  of  the  presence  of  a  medium  to  the 
display  of  this  power,  granting  its  existence,  is  a  mystery. 

That  the  spirit  should,  by  its  'magic'  will-power,  take  posses- 
sion of  the  frame  of  a  human  being,  so  as  to  make  use  of  its  brain 
and  nervous  system,  depriving  its  appropriate  owner  of  control, 
is  a  wonderful  fact,  sufficiently  difficult  to  believe,  yet,  neverthe- 
less, intelligible.  The  aura  which  surrounds  a  medium  must  be 
imponderable.  No  volition  of  the  medium  can,  through  its  in- 
strumentality, move  ponderable  bodies,  nor  cause  raps  or  conse- 
quent vibrations  in  the  wooden  boards.  Hence,  the  presence  of  a 
medium  imparts  power  to  spirits  Avhich  the  medium  docs  not  pos- 
sess. 

It  has  appeared  to  me  a  great  error  on  the  part  of  spirits,  as 
TVell  as  mortals,  that  they  should  make  efforts  to  explain  the  phe- 
nomena of  the  spirit  Avorld  by  the  ponderable  or  imponderable 
agents  of  the  temporal  world.  The  fact  that  the  rays  of  our  sun 
do  not  affect  the  spirit  world,  and  that  there  is  for  that  region 
an  appropriate  luminary,  avIiosc  rays  we  do  not  perceive,  must 
demonstrate  that  the  imponderable  element  to  which  they  owe 
their  peculiar  light  differs  from  the  ethereal  fluid,  which,  accord- 
ing to  the  uiidulatory  theory,  is  the  means  of  producing  light  iu 
the  terrestrial  creation. 

As  there  is  an  ethereal  medium  by  means  of  Avhich  light  moves 
through  space  to  the  remotest  visible  fixed  star  to  the  eye,  at  the 
rate  of  two  hundred  thousand  miles  per  second,  through  an  af- 
fection of  the  same  ether  frictional  electricity  moves,  according  to 
Wheatstone's  argument  estimate,  with  a  velocity  exceeding  that 
of  light,  so  may  we  not  infer  that  the  instrument  of  Divine  v*^ill 
acts  with  still  greater  velocity,  and  that  in  making  man  in  this 
respect  after  his  own  image,  so  far  as  necessary  to  an  available  ex- 
istence, gives  him  one  degree  of  power  over  the  same  element 


220  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

while  in  the  mortal  state,  and  another  higher  degree  of  power  in 
the  spiritual  state  ?  But  if  there  be  an  element  through  which  a 
spirit  within  his  mortal  frame  is  capable  of  actuating  that  frame, 
may  not  this  element  of  actuation  be  susceptible  of  becoming  an 
instrument  to  the  will  of  another  spirit  in  the  immortal  state  ? 

Concerned  in  the  processes  of  mediumship,  it  is  manifest  that 
there  is  none  of  that  kind  of  electricity  or  magnetism  of  which 
the  laws  and  phenomena  have  been  the  subject  of  Farraday's  re- 
searches, and  which  are  treated  of  in  books,  under  the  heads  of  f  ric- 
tional  or  mechanical  electricity,  galvanism,  or  electro-magnetism. 

Frictional  electricity,  such  as  produced  usually  by  the  friction 
of  glass  in  an  electrical  machine,  or  of  aqueous  globules  generated 
by  steam  escaping  from  a  boiler,  is  always  to  be  detected  by  elec- 
trometers, or  the  spark  given  to  a  conducting  body  when  in  com- 
munication with  the  earth;  the  human  knuckle,  for  instance. 
When  not  sufficiently  accumulated  to  produce  these  evidences  of 
its  presence,  it  must  be  in  a  very  feeble  state  of  excitement.  But 
even  in  highest  accumulation  by  human  means,  as  in  the  discharge 
of  a  powerfully  charged  Leyden  battery,  it  only  acts  for  a  time  in- 
conceivably brief,  and  does  not  move  ponderable  masses  as  they 
are  moved  in  the  instance  of  spiritual  manifestations.  It  is  only 
in  transitu  that  frictional  electricity  displays  much  power,  and 
then  its  path  is  extremely  narrow,  and  the  duration  of  its  influ- 
ence inconceivably  minute.  According  to  Wheatstone's  experi- 
ments and  calculations,  it  would  go  round  the  earth  in  the  tenth 
part  of  a  second. 

How  infinitely  small,  then,  the  period  required  to  go  from  one 
side  of  a  room  to  another !  Besides,  there  are  neither  means  of 
generating  such  electricity,  nor  of  securing  that  insulation  which 
must  be  an  indispensable  precursor  of  accumulation.  Galvanic 
or  voltaic  electricity  does  not  act  at  a  distance  so  as  to  produce 
any  recognized  effects,  except  in  the  case  of  magnetic  metals,  or 
in  the  state  of  transition  produced  by  an  electric  dischai-ge.  In 
these  phenomena  the  potent  effects  are  attainable  only  by  means 
of  perfect  insulated  conductors,  as  we  see  in  the  telegraphic  ap- 
paratus. No  reaction  with  imperfect  conducting  bodies  compe- 
tent to  toss  them  to  and  fro,  or  up  and  down,  can  be  accomplished. 
The  decomposing  influence,  called  electrolytic,  is  only  exhibited 
at  insensible  distances,  within  a  filament  of  the  matter  affected. 

In  one  of  the  replies  made  by  the  convocation  the  idea  was 


THE   UNSEALED    BOOK.  221 

sanctioned  of  the  effalgence  of  the  spirit  being  due  to  an  appro- 
priate ethereal  fluid,  analogous  to  that  above  alluded  to.  But  it 
has,  I  think,  been  shown  by  me,  that  as  light  is  due  to  the  undu- 
lations of  our  ether,  so  electricity  is  due  to  waves  of  polarization. 
But  if  undulations  produce  light  in  the  ether  of  the  spiritual 
universe  as  well  as  in  ours,  Avhy  may  not  polarization  produce  in 
the  ether  of  the  spirit  world  an  electricity  analogous  to  ours? 
Thus,  although  in  spiritual  manifestations  our  electricity  takes 
no  part,  their  electricity  may  be  the  means  by  which  their  will  is 
transmitted  efEectually  in  the  phenomena  which  it  controls. 

The  aura  on  one  side,  and  the  spirit  on  the  other,  are  inert  un- 
less associated.  Thus  the  volition  of  the  spirit  gives  activity 
to  an  effluvium,  by  itself  so  devoid  of  efficacy  that  it  wholly 
escapes  the  perception  of  the  possessor  or  the  observation  of  his 
mundane  companions.  It  has  been  already  alleged  that  the  usual 
reference  to  mundane  electricity  must  be  wholly  unsatisfactory  to 
all  acquainted  with  the  phenomena  and  laws  associated  under 
that  name;  since  no  such  movements  have  ever  been  produced 
by  such  electrical  means,  nor  is  it  consistent  with  these  mundane 
electrical  laws,  nor  the  facts  which  electricians  have  noticed,  that 
such  movements  should  be  produced.  Those  movements  which 
have  been  produced  by  electricity  have  never  been  effected  with- 
out surfaces  oppositely  charged,  nor,  of  course,  without  the  means 
of  charging  them.  Neither  are  there  associated  with  the  spiritual 
manifestations  means  at  hand  of  creating  nor  of  holding  charges 
even  much  more  minute  than  those  which  display  perceptible 
force  or  cause  audible  sound.  Electro-magnetic  phenomena  re- 
quire the  use  of  powerful  galvanic  batteries  or  magnetic  metals. 
Galvanic  series,  of  the  most  powerful  kind,  do  not  act  at  the  mi- 
nutest distance  without  contact. 

Even  lightning  could  not  move  a  table  backward  and  forward, 
though  it  might  shatter  it  into  pieces,  if  duly  interposed  into  a 
circuit.  Electrical  sparks  produce  snapping  sounds  in  the  air, 
not  knockings  or  rappings  upon  sonorous  solids.  xVn  incredulity 
liable  to  be  overcome  by  the  reason  by  which  it  has  been  created 
does  not  form  a  bar;  but  where  an  impregnable  bigotry  has  been 
introduced  merely  by  education,  so  that  the  person  under  its  in- 
fluence Avould  have  been  a  Catholic,  Calvinist,  Unitarian,  Jew,  or 
Mohammedan  by  a  change  of  parentage,  cannot  usually  be 
changed  by  any  evidence  or  argument.    Spirits  will  not  spend  their 


222  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

time  subjecting  their  manifestations  to  such  impregnable  bigotry, 
or  to  predetermined  malevolence. 

On  this  account  such  persons  find  it  hard  to  obtain  the  mani- 
festations which  they  seek  with  ill-will  to  Spiritualism,  and  a 
predisposition  to  ridicule  and  pervert  it. 

Besides  this  difiiculty,  there  is  no  doubt  a  constitutional  state, 
the  inverse  of  that  which  creates  a  medium.  The  atmosphere  of 
persons  so  constituted  neutralizes  that  of  those  who  are  endowed 
with  that  of  mediumship. 

It  were  impossible  for  any  one  to  be  more  incredulous  than  I 
was  when  I  commenced  my  investigations ;  but  in  the  first  place 
my  recorded  religious  impressions,  founded  on  more  than  a  half- 
century  of  intense  reflection,  in  no  respect  conflicted  with  the 
belief  which  Spiritualism  required.  As  I  said  to  a  clergyman,  I 
wish  I  knew  as  well  what  I  ought  to  believe,  as  I  can  perceive 
what  I  ought  not  to  believe.  I  was  ardently  desirous  that  the 
existence  of  a  future  state  should  be  established  in  a  way  to  con- 
form to  positive  science,  so  that  they  might  start  together.  This 
was  perceived  by  my  spirit  friends,  and  that  they  had  only  to  give 
me  sufiicient  evidence  of  the  existence  of  spirits  and  their  world 
to  make  me  lay  down  in  the  cause  my  comparatively  worthless 
mortal  life,  could  I  be  more  useful  to  truth  in  dying  than 
living. 

Thus  it  appears  that  there  is  a  mesmeric  electricity,  or  spiritual 
electricity,  which  may  be  considered  as  appropriate  to  the  spirit 
world  as  their  vital  air  is,  but  which,  like  that  air,  may  influence 
our  spiritual  bodies  while  in  their  mundane  tenement.  It  may,  as 
well  as  the  vital  air  of  the  spirit  world,  belong  in  common  to  the 
inhabitants  of  this  world,  and  to  us  as  spirits,  being  a  polarizing 
affection  of  the  spiritual  ethereal  medium  of  which  the  undula- 
tions constitute  the  peculiar  rays  of  their  spiritual  sun. 

That  this  spiritual  or  mesmeric  electricity  should  be  auxiliary 
to  the  efficacy  of  the  magic  will-power  of  spirits,  is  of  course  one 
of  those  mysteries  which,  like  those  of  gravitation,  may  be  ascer- 
tained to  jarevail,  and  yet  be  to  spirits  as  well  as  mortals  inexpli- 
cable. 

The  words  '  magnetism '  and  '  magnetic '  are  used  in  this  world 
in  two  different  senses.  In  one  it  signifies  the  magnetism  of  mag- 
nets or  electro-magnets ;  in  the  other,  the  animal  magnetism  of 
which  the  existence  was  suggested  by  Mesmer,  and  which  is  com- 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  223 

monly  called  mesmerism.  This  mesmerical  magnetism  seems  to 
be  dependent  rather  on  properties  which  we  have  as  immortals 
encased  in  a  corporeal  clothing,  than  as  mortals  owing  our  men- 
tal faculties  to  that  frame.  If  it  be  the  spiritual  portion  of  our 
organization  which  is  operative  in  clairvoyancy,  spiritual  elec- 
tricity may  be  the  intermedium  both  of  that  faculty  and  of  mes- 
meric influence. 

All  spirits  are  clairvoyant  more  or  less,  and  where  this  faculty 
is  exercised,  it  seems  to  be  due  to  an  unusual  ascendency  of  the 
Bpiritual  powers  over  the  corporeal,  so  that  clairvoyants  possess 
some  of  the  faculties  which  every  spirit,  after  shuffling  oft'  the 
mortal  coil,  must  possess  to  a  greater  or  less  extent.  The  means 
by  which  they  are  capable  of  communicating  are  various,  and 
moreover  precious,  according  to  the  health  and  equanimity  of  the 
mortal  being  under  whose  halo  they  may  strive  to  act. 

Spirits  cannot  approach  effectively  a  medium  of  a  sphere  much 
above,  or  below,  that  to  which  they  belong;  as  media,  in  propor- 
tion as  they  are  more  capable  of  serving  for  the  higher  intellec- 
tual communications,  are  less  capable  of  serving  for  mechanical 
demonstrations:  and  as  they  are  more  capable  of  the  latter,  are 
less  competent  for  the  former;  spirits  likewise  have  a  higher  or 
lower  capacity  to  employ  media. 

These  facts  make  the  subject  of  mediumship  a  most  complicated 
mystery ;  but  the  creation  teems  with  mystery,  so  that  inscruta- 
bility cannot  be  a  ground  of  disbelief  of  anything.  The  only 
cases  wherein  there  is  absolute  incredibility  are  those  in  which 
the  definition  of  the  premises  contradicts  those  of  the  inferences, 
or  conclusions. 

If  we  undertake  to  generalize,  it  must  come  pretty  near  to  what 
I  have  said  above,  that  spirits  are  endowed,  so  my  spirit  father 
alleges,  with  a  '  magic  will,'  capable  oi  producing,  as  they  allege, 
wonderful  results  within  their  own  world:  nevertheless,  that  this 
will  does  not  act  by  itself  directly  on  mundane  bodies.  xVn  inter- 
medium is  found  in  the  halo  or  aura  within  or  without  certain 
human  organizations;  the  halos  thus  existing  are  not  all  simi- 
larly endowed,  some  having  one,  some  another  capability;  some 
are  better  for  one  object,  some  for  another  object.  Again,  the  will- 
power varies,  as  the  sphere  of  the  spirits  is  higher  or  lower,  so 
that  the  meditim  suited  for  one  is  not  suited  for  anothei'. 

The  aura  of  a  medium,  which  thus  enables  an  immortal  spirit 


224  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

to  do  within  its  scope,  things  which  it  cannot  do  otherwise,  ap- 
pears to  vary  with  the  human  being  resorted  to :  so  that  only  a 
few  are  so  endowed  with  this  aura,  as  to  be  competent  as  media. 
Moreover,  in  those  who  are  so  constituted,  as  to  be  competent 
instruments  of  spiritual  actuation,  this  competency  is  various. 
There  is  a  gradation  of  competency,  by  which  the  nature  of  the 
instrumentality  varies  from  that  which  empowers  violent  loud 
knocking,  and  the  moving  of  ponderable  bodies  without  actual 
contact,  to  the  grade  which  confers  power  to  make  intellectual 
communications  of  the  higher  order,  without  that  of  audible 
knocking.  Further,  the  power  to  employ  these  grades  of  medium- 
ship  varies  as  the  sphere  of  the  spirit  varies. 

It  has  been  stated,  that  mortals  have  each  a  halo,  perceptible  to 
spirits,  by  which  they  are  enabled  to  determine  the  sphere  to 
which  any  individual  will  go  on  passing  death's  portal." 

Davis  says,  "  Spirits  in  all  past  times,  when  they  have  commu- 
nicated with  man,  observed,  though  they  did  not  well  understand 
the  great  principles  of  aromal  intercourse,"  which  Mr.  Putman 
thus  elucidates :  "  Place  a  small  bunch  of  fragrant  violets  in  each 
of  two  vases  upon  your  centre  table,  and  the  aroma  or  fragrance 
of  each  bunch  will  extend  to  the  other,  and  blend  with  the  other's 
aroma,  both  around  and  in  the  bunch,  and  tlirough  all  the  space 
between  the  two.  Now  these  lines  or  rays  of  fragrance  from  one, 
that  intermix  with,  and  run  parallel  to,  similar  lines  from  the 
other,  may  be  telegraphic  wires,  along  which  the  violets  might, 
if  intelligent,  send  back  and  forth  their  mutual  thoughts  and  feel- 
ing ;  remove  one  bunch  of  violets,  and  put  a  rose  in  its  place,  and 
the  blended  rays  will  produce  a  different  odor,  which  might  be 
more  agreeable  to  some  of  us,  and  less  so  to  others.  A  similar 
blending  of  electrical  aromas  doubtless  take  place  when  any  two 
of  us  meet,  and  also  between  each  of  us  and  any  spirit  that  may 
be  in  attendance  upon  us;  such  aroma,  though  it  escapes  our 
senses,  is  yet  perceived  by  the  dog :  and  the  dog's  power  of  discern- 
ment teaches,  that  no  two  of  us  give  off  effluvia  that  are  precisely 
alike.  Now  the  electrical  evolutions  of  one  human  body  may  be 
such  as  will  readily  combine  with  the  electrical  emanations  from 
some  spirits,  and  the  two  in  close  and  concordant  alliance,  like 
muscle  and  nerve,  may  be  adequate  to  the  performance  of  such 
works  as  we  are  now  considering.    Some  such  affinity  and  coales- 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  225 

cence,  I  suppose,  takes  place  whenever  one  is  what  we  call  a  me- 
dium ;  but  the  same  electrical  condition  in  a  spirit,  which  adapts 
him  or  her  to  work  through  some  one  of  us,  may  yet  be  unsuited 
to  work  kindly  with  another  person,  whose  electrical  aroma  is 
either  much  more  or  much  less  positive.  Spirits  may  differ  as 
much  in  power  to  use  men,  as  men  differ  in  susceptibilities  to  be 
used  by  the  spirits;  the  work  is  done  through  an  aromal  inter- 
course, and  it  is  only  when  the  spirit  aroma  and  the  mundane 
aroma,  combine  in  harmonious  equilibrium,  making  as  it  Avere  hut 
one,  and  that  one  subject  to  the  spirit's  will,  that  man  becomes 
the  spirit's  instrument.  Violet  and  violet  may  furnish  an  efficient 
mixture,  while  violet  and  rose  combined  may  be  unfit  for  use." 

We  will  now  give  from  the  same  author  some  explanations  of 
mesmerism,  the  key  which  may  unlock  many  long-closed  cham- 
bers of  mystery.  Every  reader  has  doubtless  asked,  ''•  What  is 
mesmerism  ?  "  This  being  put  forth  as  a  solvent  of  many  great 
mysteries  of  all  times  and  among  all  people,  what  is  this  mesmer- 
ism itself  ? 

*'  Frankly,  it  is  quite  a  mystery  yet,  but  it  is  not  looked  upon 
as  involving  anything  supernatural,  devilish,  or  in  such  a  sense 
miraculous,  as  to  imply  either  a  suspension  or  a  violation  of  nat- 
ural laws  in  its  processes  of  manifestations.  Through  it  we  learn 
that  some  men,  by  a  concentrated  application  of  their  mental 
forces,  aided  often  by  the  eye  or  the  hand,  can  either  take  fronii 
or  impart  to  certain  persons  some  property  or  fluid  which  enables- 
the  operator  to  become  master  in  the  subject's  house  or  body.. 
Through  that  other  body  he  manifests  himself,  but  he  does  this- 
only  imperfectly.  He  has  power  there,  but  not  power  equal  tO' 
that  wliicli  he  can  display  through  his  own  organs.  A  man  is. 
cramped  when  he  has  to  take  a  borrowed  body,  therefore  a  spirit 
well  may  be  so  too.  In  successful  mesmerism,  the  subject  will 
walk,  or  sit,  or  kneel,  or  lie  down;  will  move  this  way  or  that; 
will  perform  the  most  ludicrous  or  the  most  appropriate  acts ; 
will  see  one  object  or  another ;  will  taste  or  smell  or  feel  any  im- 
aginable substance,  whether  present  or  not,  just  according  to  the 
will  of  the  operator.  But  this  is  not  all  ;  frequently  such  posses- 
sion affects  a  liberation  of  the  subject's  intellectual  and  perceptive 
faculties  from  the  control,  not  of  the  operator  alone,  but  also 
from  the  crampings  of  his  own  external  organs,  and  thus  enables 


226  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

him  to  look  out  through  walls  of  solid  masonry,  through  hills  of 
granite,  and  into  the  most  interior  recesses  of  the  human  body, 
or  any  other  animal  or  vegetable  organism.  He  seems  to  possess 
perceptive  faculties  which  enable  him  to  see  and  hear  and  sense 
through  all  material  objects,  at  vast  distances  and  in  all  direc- 
tions. Thus  conditioned,  he  can  read  the  autobiography  of  any 
natural  object,  scan  the  distant,  and  get  glimpses  of  the  future. 
He  seems  like  one  freed  from  the  body,  and  endowed  with  organs 
which  use  electricity  as  their  medium  of  sight  and  sound,  and 
thus  can  he  see  and  hear  through  whatever  electricity  can  pene- 
trate ;  that  is,  through  almost,  if  not  quite,  all  material  objects. 
Some  men,  then,  possess  and  can  put  forth  such  will-power  as 
makes  certain  other  men  their  objects  and  unresisting  tools,  sim- 
ple unconscious  organs  by  which  to  express  their  own  thoughts 
and  purposes.  Sometimes  such  control  is  absolute,  but  in  more 
cases  only  partial ;  and  such  a  subduing  force,  when  carried  beyond 
a  certain  point,  pushes  the  subject's  intellectual  and  perceptive 
faculties  into  unwonted  freedom  and  independence,  and  makes 
him  a  more  independent  and  gifted  man  than  before. 

Such  are  the  results  of  human  magnetism,  called  mesmerism 
only  because  Mesmer  applied  it,  and  drew  attention  to  it  more 
definitely  and  extensively  than  any  one  had  done  before  or  since 
his  time.  The  getting  control  of  another's  organism,  either  by 
abstracting  from  it  or  imparting  to  it  human  magnetism,  is  mes- 
merism. It  is  the  action  of  one  mind,  in  connection  with  its  en- 
veloping body,  upon  another's  body  and  its  indwelling  mind.  It 
is  some  action  of  the  living  upon  the  living,  and  not  upon  tables 
and  chairs. 

We  come  now  to  the  raps  and  tips.  This  working  outside  of  and 
distant  from  the  medium's  body,  and  this  infusion  of  animation 
and  intelligence  into  inanimate  wood,  is  more  than  mesmerism 
has  ever  claimed  or  seemed  to  perform.  The  visible,  living  man, 
acting  upon  a  visible,  living  organism,  is  always  involved  in  mes- 
merism ;  but  many  of  the  physical  manifestations  of  Spiritualism 
imply  some  invisible  power  revealing  intelligence  through  inani- 
mate matter.  The  raps  and  knockings  and  table-tippings  have 
never  come  out  among  the  works  of  mesmerism.  The  harsh 
poundings,  the  childish  tiltings,  the  unmannerly  antics  of  heavy 
pianos  and  large  dining-tables  are,  as  many  say,  too  low  and  vul- 
gar for  any  decent  mind  in  the  body  to  wish  for  or  to  prompt ; 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK,  227 

no  woll-brcd  mesmerist  ever  calls  for  such  results.  True,  true; 
but  Avould  they  come  if  he  did  call  for  them?  No;  he  does  not 
show  the  raps  and  tips.  And  why  not?  Simply  because  he  can- 
not. These  low  and  ridiculed  works  lie  beyond  the  farthest 
stretch  of  his  powers.  A  table  rising  and  floating  gently  in  the 
air,  a  piano  dancing  to  the  tune  that  is  being  played  upon  itself, 
a  human  form  rising  gently  from  the  floor  toward  the  ceiling, 
and  moving,  dove-like,  around  the  room,  a  chair  tipping  in  answer 
to  questions,  and  all  this  where  neither  muscle,  nor  machinery, 
nor  any  tangible  mechanical  power  was  applied, —  these  things, 
and  others  like  them,  which  are  happening  every  month,  and  are 
seen  over  and  over  again  by  many  credible  witnesses,  these  things 
are  not  found  in  mesmerism.  Did  animal  magnetism,  did  elec- 
tricity, did  odyle,  did  either  or  all  of  these  constitute  the  in- 
telligent actor  in  the  chair  which  answered  my  questions  ?  No  ; 
these  fluids  or  forces  of  nature  are  not  mind. 

They  do  not,  they  cannot  guide  and  control  action  so  as  to 
converse  with  man.  They  may  be,  and  doubtless  are,  instruments 
through  which  one  mind  imparts  intelligence  to  another ;  but 
they,  in  and  of  themselves,  are  not  mind,  and  cannot  think  nor 
act  intelligently.  Let  the  most  powerful  embodied  mesmerizer 
which  the  world  contains  try  his  will  upon  the  insensible  chair, 
and  will  the  chair  move  of  his  bidding?  No,  not  the  fraction  of 
an  inch.  Charge  the  chair,  even  encased  in  glass  or  coated  with 
sealing-wax, —  charge  it  with  all  the  magnetism,  electricity,  and 
odyllic  fluid  imaginable,  and  will  they  all  generate  in  it  or  convey 
into  it  mind  enough  to  understand  and  to  answer  my  question  ? 
No,  obviously  no.  You  know  that  if  an  embodied  mesmerizer 
should  will  the  chair  to  move,  and  keep  on  willing  it  to  move  for 
hours,  that  it  would  not  stir  an  inch,  unless  he  applied  his  hand 
to  it.  His  will-power  controls  only  living  organism.  You  know, 
too,  that  neither  magnetism,  electricity,  nor  odyle  could  be  made 
to  give  or  to  generate  a  mind  in  the  chair ;  yet  its  motions  proved 
that  mind  was  there.  Common-sense  demands  the  admission  of 
this.  But  mind  needs  tools  or  organs  when  it  gives  intelligent 
movements  to  matter.  We  usually  find  it  expressing  itself 
through  the  eyes,  the  face,  the  tongue,  the  hand.  The  acting 
mind  surely  needed  a  hand,  or  something  with  the  powers  of  a 
hand,  to  move  that  chair.  So  also  did  one  angel  to  will  away  the 
stone,  and  the  other  angel  to  unlock  the  prison  door.    Something 


228  THE   UNSEAXED   BOOK. 

with  the  powers  of  a  hand  was  needed  in  each  case.  Perhaps  a 
hand  was  there.  Spirits  profess  to  have  power  under  favorahle 
circumstances  to  gather  up  and  use  some  (to  us)  invisible  emana- 
tions from  the  bodies  of  our  mediums,  and  elements  from  the 
atmosphere  in  some  localities,  and  to  combine  these  with  certain 
properties  inherent  in  themselves,  and  from  these  materials  to 
construct  hands,  arms,  etc.,  varying  in  size  according  to  their  own 
inherent  powers  and  the  qualities  of  the  foreign  materials  used  ; 
they  profess  to  be  able  to  form  hands,  arms,  etc.,  varying  in 
strength  from  those  of  a  feeble  infant  up  to  those  of  a  veritable 
Samson.  [This  was  doubtless  written  before  the  materializing 
phase  of  mediumship  had  been  developed  to  any  extent,  or  at 
least  before  it  came  to  the  knowledge  of  the  writer.]  When  such 
tools  have  been  constructed,  the  invisible  ones  work  out  by  aid  of 
them  results  which  man  can  see  and  hear  and  feel.  Then  raps 
and  tips  are  heard  and  seen ;  then  the  low  things  become  high. 

Many  tell  us  that  Spiritualism  is  nothing  but  mesmerism.  Of 
course,  such  a  statement  admits  that  it  is  as  much  as  mesmerism ; 
that  it  is,  in  fact,  the  same  thing.  Thanks  for  this  concession ; 
because  mesmerism,  if  permitted  to  mature,  may  ripen  into  Spir- 
itualism. One  tree,  like  the  orange,  often  shows  flowers  and 
green  fruit  and  ripe  at  the  same  time.  Much  that  is  supposed  to 
be  only  mesmerism  is,  in  fact,  Spiritualism ;  also,  much  of  what 
is  regarded  as  Spiritualism  is  only  mesmerism.  Often,  when  man 
magnetizes,  he  puts  his  subject  into  such  a  state  that  some  spirit 
quietly  slips  in  and  works  there,  and  yet  the  spirit's  presence  is 
not  suspected.  At  such  times  an  angel  is  entertained  unawares. 
Spiritualism  is  then  under  the  name  of  mesmerism.  On  the  other 
hand,  our  spirit  mediums  often  get  mesmerized  by  the  company 
present,  so  as  to  become  clairvoyant  and  clairaudient.  The  in- 
ternal or  spirit  eyes  and  ears  of  the  mediums  get  opened  by  the 
undesigned,  unwilled  flowings  of  human  magnetism  to  or  from 
those  around  them.  Their  words  may  report  to  us  spirit  utter- 
ances and  describe  spirits  and  spirit  scenes,  and  yet  the  real  speak- 
ers may  be  only  entranced  mortals,  listening  to  the  voices  above, 
and  looking  into  homes  of  the  ascended.  There  may  be  a  pure 
mesmerism  which  opens  a  way  for  mortals  to  see  and  hear  the 
departed.  What  then  is  a  distinction  between  mesmerism  and 
Spiritualism  ? 

Mesmerism  is  something  which  a  man  does  while  he  has  his 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  229 

clothes  on.  Spiritualism  is  a  similar  act  of  his  after  his  clothes 
have  been  put  off.  Suppose  I  magnetize  you  to-day,  and  that  I, 
the  mcsmerizcr,  speak,  write,  act  through  you,  you  being  uncon- 
scious: this  is  mesmerism.  Suppose  further,  that  I  die  to-night, 
and  that  to-morrow  I,  a  spirit,  come  and  magnetize  you,  and  tlien 
speak,  write,  act  through  you :  this  is  Spiritualism,  Here  we 
have  the  same  operator  working  upon  and  through  the  same  sub- 
ject, the  only  difference  being  that  to-day  I,  the  operator,  am  in 
the  body,  having  my  clothes  on,  while  to-morrow  I  am  to  be  out 
of  the  body,  or  to  have  my  clothes  off.  Such  is  the  only  essential 
difference  between  mesmerism  and  Spiritualism  in  some  of  its 
forms.  If  man's  powers  are  not  diminished  by  the  death  of  his 
body,  then  some  spirits  can  mesmerize  susceptible  subjects.  No 
increase  of  power  is  needed,  no  miracle  is  wanted.  Mesmerism 
and  Spiritualism  may  differ  no  more  than  the  green  fruit  and  the 
ripe  on  the  same  tree.  They  are  nourished  through  the  same 
roots,  the  same  trunk;  one  ripens  into  the  other.  Those  who  are 
so  inclined  may  pluck  all  the  oranges  from  their  own  trees  while 
tlie  fruit  is  yet  green  ;  but  I  beg  of  them  to  leave  mine  upi>n  the 
branches,  and  when  an  orange  there  shall  have  become  fully  ripe, 
I  trust  they  will  not  dissuade  me  from  eating  it,  by  alleging  that 
their  own  green  ones  have  never  tasted  good.  Spirits,  then,  often 
have  to  perform  the  difficult  and  uncertain  process  of  inducing  a 
full  mesmeric  sleep  before  they  can  manage  the  hand  of  the  flesh. 
Several  persons,  who  are  susceptible  to  both  the  mesmeric  and  the 
spirit  influence,  have  told  me  that  when  the  controlling  fluid 
comes  to  them  from  one  in  the  body,  they  feel  it  flowing  in  hori- 
zontally and  entering  mostly  about  the  region  of  the  eyes;  but 
when  it  comes  from  the  spirits,  the  stream  is  vertical  and  enters 
through  the  spiritual  organs  on  the  crown  of  tiie  head.  That 
the  process  of  mesmerizing  and  of  spiritualizing  a  subject  are 
very  similar,  might  be  argued  from  the  fact  that  both  succeed 
best  under  like  circumstances.  Both  are  most  easily  performed 
where  all  minds  are  quiet  and  passive  ;  both  ask  for  good  air  and 
an  harmonious  circle;  and  both  generally  succeed  best  with  the 
same  organism  and  temperaments  ;  in  other  words,  in  most  cases, 
but  not  in  all,  good  spirit  mediums  can  be  easily  magnetized. 
The  difference,  then,  between  mesmerism  and  Spiritualism  in 
some  of  its  forms  is  not  enough  to  let  us  regard  them  as  generic- 
ally  different. 


230  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

If  any  spirit  can  visit  earth  and  work  here,  why  cannot  all  oth- 
ers ?  If  my  spirit  friend  can  communicate  through  a  stranger, 
why  can  he  not  do  the  same  through  me  ?  Why  cannot  all  spir- 
its come  ?  Why  are  not  all  persons  mediums  ?  Such  questions 
have  come  up  in  every  mind.  You  hear  said.  If  spirits  come, 
why  do  they  not  come  to  and  through  me  ?  Probably  they  are 
hindered  by  natural  obstacles,  inherent  in  either  them  or  yourself. 
How  is  it  in  mesmerism  ?  There  are  but  few  successful  magne- 
tizers,  but  few  facile  subjects.  Mr. can  very  easily  magne- 
tize several  of  my  acquaintances  and  friends,  but  he  can  produce 
no  efEect  upon  me.  Why  this  difference  ?  Feed  two  oxen  alike 
for  years,  and  then  bring  them  to  the  shambles.  You  may  find 
the  meat  of  one  tender  and  juicy,  that  of  the  other  tough  and 
dry.  One  man  has  fine  and  soft  hair,  while  another's  is  coarse 
and  hard.  Why  so  ?  Who  can  tell  me  why?  The  facts  are  ob- 
vious, but  the  reasons  for  them  cannot  be  given.  We  can  only 
say  such  are  the  results  of  God's  modes  of  working.  ISTow,  then, 
if  in  our  fibres  and  fluids  and  emanations  we  differ  one  from  an- 
other, why  may  not  some  of  us  be  very  susceptible  to  certain 
influences  which  others  cannot  feel  at  all  ?  Why  may  not  some 
impart  much  more  easily  and  powerfully  than  others  ?  Till  the 
mesmerist  can  magnetize  any  one  person  just  as  easily  and  as 
thoroughly  as  he  can  any  other,  why  expect  that  spii'its  can? 
Till  all  men  are  efficient  magnetizers,  why  think  that  all  spirits 
can  be  ?  Till  all  men  are  facile  subjects  for  the  embodied  mag- 
netizer,  why  suppose  that  they  can  be  for  a  disembodied  one  ? 
The  hidden  reasons  which  exist  in  the  one  case  ought,  as  we  view 
these  subjects,  to  exist  also  in  the  other.  We  believe  that  they  do. 
Beyond  a  certain  point  mesmerism  fails  to  furnish  illustration  of 
Spiritualism. 

The  clear-sighted  logician  will  see,  I  think,  that,  from  the  point 
now  reached,  a  direct  path  extends  on  to  the  seers  of  Prevost, 
to  Swedenborg,  to  Scottish  seers,  to  Joan  of  Arc,  to  Mahomet,  to 
Koman  augurs,  Grecian  priestesses,  and  all  who  have  given  their 
contemporaries  assurances  that  they  saw  spirit  forms  and  con- 
versed with  the  departed,  or  with  angels.  The  prophets,  seers, 
and  magicians  of  all  ages  and  nations  may  have  been  all  that  they 
claimed  to  be,  and  yet  have  been  only  mesmeric  subjects  and 
spirit  mediums.  This  view  starts  the  inquiry,  whether  any  of  the 
Scripture  miracles  were  the  acts  of  unseen  finite  intelligences, 


THE   UNSEALED  BOOK.  231 

using  their  normal  powers  in  submission  to  fixed  laws.  The 
question  is  legitimate  and  proper.  And  it  gives  me  pleasure  to 
make  an  affirmative  answer,  for,  in  doing  that,  I  behold  a  God  so 
perfect  that  his  wisdom  and  power  were,  from  the  beginning, 
competent  to  devise  such  laws  as  should,  without  violation,  with- 
out suspension,  admit  under  and  in  obedience  to  themselves  all 
the  light  and  all  the  angel  visitations  which  his  children  on  earth 
might  ever  need.  When  man  shall  see  and  feel  that  heaven's 
inhabitants  may  come  to  earth  by  natural  processes,  and  work 
among  us  just  according  to  their  several  abilities  and  characters, 
then  the  greatest  difficulties  of  philosophical  faith  in  the  Bible 
as  a  record  of  teachings  from  on  high  will  melt  away,  and  the 
wisdom  of  God  himself  will  appear  to  us  more  complete. 

Our  whole  train  of  remark  implies  the  supposition,  that  refined 
electricity,  magnetism,  odyle,  or  some  unknown  but  yet  eternal 
and  universal  fluid  has  been  an  essential  instrument  in  all  parts 
of  spirit  communication,  as  well  in  Judsea  as  in  other  lands.  It 
implies,  too,  that  this,  instrument  can  never  have  been  wanting  in 
any  age.  Why,  then,  have  angel  visits  been  so  '  few  and  far  be- 
tween '  ?  We  need  not  answer  a  query  like  this  because  of  any 
bearing  it  may  have  upon  the  question  whether  spirits  come  now. 
That  ocean  and  those  winds  had  always  existed  which  bore  Colum- 
bus to  the  New  World,  but  the  question  why  Europeans  had  so 
seldom,  if  ever,  reached  America  before,  could  not  invalidate  the 
fact  that  Columbus  himself  had  reached  it.  If  it  be  proved  that 
spirits  come  now,  the  infrequency  of  their  visits  heretofore  will 
not  di.s})rove  the  fact.  Still  the  question,  why  they  should  come 
so  much  more  frequently  and  generally  now  than  in  former  times, 
is  a  very  natural  and  proper  one,  and  is  worthy  of  the  best  an- 
swer we  can  give.  That  answer,  however,  will  have  little  weight 
with  any  but  those  who  are  already  prepared  to  give  some  cre- 
dence when  statements  are  backed  by  no  authority  beyond  that  of 
utterances  through  spirit  mediums.  Is  it  impossible  that  modes 
and  means  of  using  the  subtile  fluids  in  man  and  nature  are  bet- 
ter understood  even  by  the  spirits  now  than  they  were  in  ages 
past  ?  Can  the  departed  continue  to  make  advances  in  scientific 
and  practical  knowledge  ?  AVho  among  us  can  tell  ?  Electricity 
and  magnetism  have  always  existed ;  yet  it  was  but  quite  recently 
that  man  became  acquainted  with  their  extent  and  nature,  and 
that  he  learned  how  to  subject  them  in  any  degree  to  his  control ; 


232  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

still  more  recent  did  he  invent  the  telegraph.  Man,  by  his  dis- 
coveries in  electricity  and  steam  within  the  last  half-centnry,  has 
become  able  to  convey  his  thoughts  and  his  person  much  more 
widely,  speedily,  and  definitely  to  people  and  places  on  the  earth 
now  than  he  could  before.  Possibly  spirits  may  have  made  recent 
discoveries  and  inventions,  by  which  they  can  come  to  us  more 
easily,  speedily,  and  definitely,  and  make  themselves  more  dis- 
tinctly felt  and  better  understood  by  us  than  formerly." 

We  would  here  suggest  that  the  late  developments  of  this  phil- 
osophical, psychical  science  have  displayed  phases  of  spiritual 
phenomena  unprecedented  in  the  annals  of  history.  For  exam- 
ple : — 

"  The  most  splendid  and  perfect  oil-pictures  of  deceased  chil- 
dren and  friends  are  often  produced  in  less  than  an  hour  by  me- 
diums who  knew  nothing  of  them,  — entire  strangers,  —  to  the 
unbounded  delight  and  joy  of  living  parents  and  friends." 

The  art  of  spirit  photography,  as  many  of  you  are  doubtless 
aware,  is  undeniably  established.  An  artist  with  whom  I  con- 
versed upon  the  subject,  showed  me  a  pencilled  sketch,  large  size, 
of  a  child,  which  he  said  only  occupied  him  seventeen  minutes ; 
he  was  not  a  professional  artist,  and  could  only  work  while  under 
spiritual  influence ;  furthermore,  the  spirits  who  controlled  him 
were  unwilling  he  should  study  the  art  on  mundane  principles. 

"  This  new  science  of  psychometry  deserves  more  than  a  passing 
notice.  Prof.  Hitchcock,  in  his  well-known  book,  '  The  Religion 
of  Geology,'  speaking  of  the  influence  of  light  upon  bodies,  and  of 
the  formation  of  pictures  upon  them  by  means  of  it,  says:  'It 
seems,  then,  that  this  photographic  influence  pervades  all  nature, 
nor  can  we  say  where  it  stops.  We  do  not  know  but  it  may  im- 
print upon  the  world  around  us  our  pictures,  as  they  are  modified 
by  various  passions,  and  thus  fill  nature  with  daguerreotype  im- 
pressions of  all  our  actions  that  are  performed  in  daylight.  It 
may  be,  too,  that  there  are  tests  by  which  nature,  mo]-e  skilful 
than  any  human  photographer,  can  bring  out  and  fix  these  por- 
traits, so  that  acuter  senses  than  ours  shall  see  them  as  on  a  great 
canvas  spread  on  the  material  universe.  Perhaps,  too,  they  may 
never  fade  from  that  canvas,  but  become  specimens  in  the  great 
picture  gallery  of  eternity.' 

Our  Dr.  Denton,  and  his  wife  Elizabeth,  —  that  they  are  Amer- 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  233 

icans  need  scarcely  be  said, — have  just  published  a  book,  'The 
Soul  of  Things  ;  or,  Psychometric  Eesearches  and  Discoveries,'  in 
which  they  assert  that  what  Prof.  Hitchcock  thus  says  '  perhaps 
may  be,'  really  is.  They  say  that  radiant  faces  are  passing  from 
all  objects  to  all  objects,  every  moment  of  time,  and  photograph- 
ing the  appearances  of  each  upon  the  other,  every  action,  every 
movement,  being  thus  infallibly  registered  for  coming  ages.  '  The 
pane  of  glass  in  the  window,  the  brick  in  the  wall,  and  the  paving- 
stone  in  the  streets,  catch  the  pictures  of  all  passers-by,  and  care- 
fully preserve  them.  Not  a  leaf  waves,  not  an  insect  crawls,  but 
each  motion  is  recorded  by  a  thousand  faithful  scribes,  in  infallible 
and  indelible  scriptures.'  This  having  always  been  so,  there  is 
thus  stored  up  in  nature  the  most  faithful  memorials  of  the  en- 
tire past,  — of  the  early  world  and  tides  of  liquid  fire  ;  its  rushing 
floods  and  steaming  vapors ;  of  every  plant,  from  the  club-moss 
to  the  tree-fern ;  of  every  animal,  from  the  polyp  to  the  pachy- 
derm ;  and  of  every  tribe,  and  nation,  and  race  of  man.  All  have 
set  for  their  portraits,  and  'thence  the  portraits  all  are  faithfully 
daguerrootyped  in  this  divine  picture  gallery  for  all  time.'  And 
it  is  not  sights  alone  that  are  registered,  but  sounds  as  well. 
Nature  is  not  only  a  picture  gallery,  but  a  whispering  gallery,  too. 
As  no  scene  is  ever  effaced,  so  no  sound  ever  dies  out.  '  The 
lullaby  sung  by  our  cradle,  the  patter  of  the  rain  upon  the  roof, 
the  sighing  of  the  winds,  the  roll  of  the  thunder,  the  dash  of  fall- 
ing waters,  the  murmur  of  affection,  the  oath  of  the  inebriate,  the 
hymn  at  the  church,  the  song  at  the  concert,  the  words  of  w^isdom 
and  folly,  the  whisper  of  love,  all  arc  faithfully  registered.'  'All 
sounds  record  themselves  on  all  objects  within  their  influence,' 
and  these  phonotypes,  as  they  may  be  termed,  arc  almost,  if  not 
entirely,  as  enduring  as  the  objects  themselves.'  Neither  the 
'  phonotypes '  nor  the  '  portraits  '  may  be  brought  out,  or  '  devel- 
oped,' by  any  known  chemical  application,  but  in  some  individuals 
the  brain  is  sufficiently  sensitive  to  perceive  them  when  it  is 
brought  into  proximity  with  the  objects  on  Avhich  they  are  im- 
pressed.' Persons  thus  sensitive  are  called  'psychometcrs,'  and  of 
the  siglits  which  such  persons  have  seen,  and  of  the  sounds  which 
they  have  heard,  when  exercising  their  peculiar  faculty,  this  book 
sets  forth  one  hundred  and  fourteen  instances,  all  of  which  are, 
indeed,  'wonderful,'  if  true.  A  piece  of  brick  or  stone  from  an 
ancient  city  has  enabled  them  to  see  and  hear  all  that  was  ever 


234  THE  UNSEALED  BOOK. 

done  or  uttered  in  its  vicinity;  a  piece  of  fossil  animal  has 
taken  them  back  to  the  world  in  which  that  animal  lived,  and 
moved,  and  had  its  being,  and  enabled  them  to  observe  minutely 
its  physical  condition,  and  all  characteristics  alike  of  its  vegetable 
productions  and  of  its  brute  inhabitants;  a  bit  of  granite  has 
made  them  spectators  of  the  primeval  chaos,  amid  whose  throes 
the  mountain  whence  it  was  taken  had  its  birth,  and  a  fragment 
of  an  aerolite  has  given  them  wings  on  which  to  travel  through 
the  limitless  fields  of  space.  It  is  obvious  that,  if  '  psychometry ' 
be  true,  nature  will  no  longer  have  '  mysteries,'  nor  history  '  se- 
crets ' ;  we  shall  no  longer  be  puzzled  by  theories  as  to  the  origin 
of  the  antiquity  of  man,  or  as  to  the  methods  by  which  the  infi- 
nite variety  of  complicated  results  which  we  see  in  the  three  king- 
doms of  nature  have  been  produced.  All  the  processes  which  are 
going  on,  or  ever  have  gone  on,  in  nature,  will  be  unveiled  to  the 
gaze  of  the  '  psychometer,'  and  all  that  men,  in  any  age  or  coun- 
try, have  said  or  done,  will  be  similarly  present  to  his  eye  and  ear. 
So  far  the  latest  development  of  American  psychology.  Well 
may  we  ask  Mr.  Cobden's  question,  '  What  next,  and  next  ?  ' " 

•  Of  Rev.  T.  L.  Harris,  author  of  "  Lyric  of  the  Golden  Age,"  — 
a  poem  about  the  size  of  Milton's  "  Paradise  Lost,"  which  was 
composed  and  dictated  in  ninety-four  hours,  and  is  said  to  pos- 
sess more  than  Miltonic  grandeur  and  sublimity,  —  ''  it  is  alleged 
that  when  spirits  enter  his  sphere,  they  become  visible  to  others ; 
that  persons  of  refined  habits  and  acute  sensation  both  see  and 
hear  them;  that  the  spirits  are  able  to  cause  atmospheric  undula- 
tions, and  to  produce  the  most  delicate  chemical  combinations 
and  sensational  impressions,  all  made  manifest  to  the  outer  senses 
of  men,  by  distinct  vibrations,  concussions,  vocal  and  instrumen- 
tal music,  and  also  by  the  diffusion  of  delightful  aromas,  like  the 
perfume  of  jessamine  flowers,  etc.,  through  the  common  atmos- 
phere, which  is  not  intrinsically  improbable,  since  all  the  simple 
elements  of  which  the  aromas  consist  are  everywhere  diffused  in 
the  atmosphere,  and  it  needs  but  the  subtile  chemism  of  the  spirit 
to  so  combine  them  as  to  render  their  presence  manifest  to  the 
senses ;  was  called  upon  in  December,  1852,  by  Mrs.  C,  in  the 
hope  of  obtaining  some  evidence  of  immortality  which  might  af- 
ford her  the  consolation  she  needed  in  a  season  of  deep  afiiiction. 
Her  husband  had  departed  this  life,  and  her  spirit  yearned  for 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  235 

the  assurance  that  life  was  renewed,  and  life  immortal  beyond  the 
grave.  Mr.  Harris  knew  nothing  of  his  history,  and  had  no  exter- 
nal perception  of  the  object  of  her  visit,  but  becoming  entranced 
in  her  presence,  all  was  revealed  to  him.  He  informed  the  lady 
that  her  husband  was  an  United  States  officer,  described  his  men- 
tal and  physical  peculiarities,  his  dress,  a  scar  on  his  face,  and 
said  that  he  carried  a  repeater  watch,  and  was  in  the  frequent 
habit  of  applying  it  to  his  ear  and  striking  the  hour.  The  father 
of  Mrs.  C,  an  eminent  divine,  was  also  described  on  the  occasion, 
and  the  lady  declared  that  the  delineations  were  in  every  essential 
particular  true  to  nature  and  the  facts. 

During  the  same  month  another  interesting  illustration  of  the 
author's  (Harris)  mediumship  occurred.  A  professional  gentle- 
man at  the  South  was  invited  to  hear  Mr.  Harris  lecture  on  Spirit- 
ualism, but  declined,  having  no  faith  in  the  alleged  manifestations 
from  spirits.  On  being  requested  to  make  a  personal  visit  to  Mr. 
H.,  he  consented,  at  the  same  time  affirming  that  no  spirit  could 
reveal  the  facts  in  the  life  of  the  person  that  purported  to  communi- 
cate, in  such  a  manner  as  to  insure  identification,  as  all  the 
phenomena  were  mere  psychological  hallucinations,  which  he  him- 
self could  produce  at  pleasure;  this  gentleman  was  accordingly 
introduced  to  Mr.  Harris,  and  after  a  brief  interview,  the  latter 
being  under  the  magnetic  inllucnce  of  some  spirit,  retired  to  his 
interior  plane  of  observation ;  the  visitor  was  informed  that  the 
spirit  of  a  young  female  attended  him  as  a  guardian  :  her  personal 
appearance,  costume,  and  other  things  connected  with  the  life  on 
earth,  were  described  :  the  relation  which  had  previously  existed 
between  the  gentleman  and  his  spirit  guardian  was  intimated : 
the  nature  of  her  life,  and  circumstances  of  her  death,  were  re- 
ferred to;  the  spirit  also  gave  him  an  impressive  communication, 
indicating  her  condition  in  the  spirit  world,  the  habits  of  her 
earthly  friend,  and  concluded  by  admonishing  him  to  reform. 
At  the  close  of  this  interview  the  gentleman  went  away,  but  not 
long  after  called  on  Mr.  Harris  again,  and  related  the  story  of  the 
life  and  death  of  the  young  girl  whose  spirit  had  so  unexpectedly 
addressed  liim,  affirming  at  the  same  time  that  he  was  fully  sat- 
isfied of  the  truth  of  Spiritualism,  from  the  astonishing  accuracy 
of  the  disclosures  made  through  Mr.  H. ;  the  gentleman  also  ex- 
pressed his  conviction,  that  the  medium  could  not  have  derived 
his  impressions  by  psychological  process  from  his  own  mind,  and 


236  THE  UNSEALED  BOOK. 

this  was  rendered  evident  to  him,  from  the  statement  of  an  im- 
portant fact  respecting  the  spirit,  which  until  that  hour  was  nei- 
ther known  nor  conceived  of  by  himself ;  since  the  first  interview, 
a  personal  investigation  had  fully  established  in  his  mind  the 
truth  of  the  statement." 

"But  you  may  ask  if  this  Spiritualism  be  true,  this  philosophy 
of  God,  why  was  it  not  discovered  and  promulgated  sooner  ?  Why 
is  it  that  man  has  lived  six  thousand  years  in  ignorance  of  this 
great  truth  ?  In  answer  I  ask,  why  is  it  that  electricity  has  not 
been  known  until  now  ?  why  its  discovery  so  neoteric  ?  The  light- 
ning through  which  we  communicate,  and  which  speaks  for  us, 
is  the  same  lightnimg  that  flashed  o'er  Grecian  glory,  or  Roman 
ruin,  ay,  that  played  upon  the  peaks  of  Sinai.  Science  had  not 
then  shed  its  scintillations  in  the  mind  of  Moses,  Servius,  or  Ly- 
curgus ;  nor  is  it  a  gratuity  of  nature,  or  gift  of  Providence  :  it 
has  to  be  learned,  culled,  collected,  collated,  and  appropriated,  by 
our  honest  efforts,  from  which  Ave  may  weave  the  philosophy  of 
our  life ;  like  our  daily  bread  and  the  glittering  jewel,  it  is  by 
honest  effort  alone  that  truth  is  evolved,  and  our  progression  de- 
veloped. As  your  religion  of  faith  professes  to  have  been  heralded 
by  a  grand  providential  specialty,  and  could,  of  course,  have  been 
thus  promulgated  early,  as  well  as  late,  why  was  it  not  heralded 
with  the  birth  of  man  ?  and  why  its  evulgatlon  so  imperfect  in 
extent  as  well  as  time  ?  But  man  has  to  labor  for  the  bread  of 
his  body,  and  so  he  has  to  labor  for  the  philosophy  of  his  life : 
and  this  is  his  true  religion. 

You  may  again  object,  that  these  new  revelations  abound  in 
platitudes,  inconsistencies,  and  contradictions.  Granted :  but  does 
not  your  old  Eevelation  still  more  abound  in  absurdities,  incon- 
sistencies, and  contradictions,  as  I  have  already  shown  ?  Your 
Great  Master  tells  you  in  one  breath,  to  '  seek  your  salvation ' ; 
and  in  the  next,  '  he  that  seeks  to  save  his  life  shall  lose  it.'  My 
religion  of  philosophy  explains  these  discrepancies,  and  thus  can 
reconcile  the  contradictions,  or  their  causes,  of  your  master  Jesus 
Christ,  as  when  your  Bible  says,  '  believe  not  every  spirit,'  etc. ; 
but  your  religion  of  faith  cannot  explain  them,  and  they  must 
consequently  forever  remain  irreconcilable,  and  believed  by  none 
but  those  who  have  no  eyes,  and  follow  faith  through  fear  and 
feeling;  and  through  this  feeling  of  fear,  many  pretend  to  ridi- 
cule the  religion  of  philosophy,  because  their  religion  of  faith 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  237 

holds  over  their  heads,  in  terrorem,  a  devil  and  damnation  ;  for 
does  it  not  tell  them,  if  they  believe  anything  else,  they  believe  a 
lie,  and  shall  be  damned  ?  "We  carry  no  such  scorpion  lash  of  ter- 
ror for  the  timid :  philosophy  has  no  horrors  for  the  honest,  en- 
lightened, and  true. 

You  remember,  I  brought  the  history  of  unknown  spirit  inter- 
course of  the  past  down  to  the  present  generation;  here,  now,  I 
again  take  it  up  for  a  moment,  to  glance  at  the  living  age.  Spirit 
intercourse  and  its  true  philosophy  are  now  known  and  believed 
in,  by  many  millions  of  the  present  generation.  We  will  give  a 
few  distinguished  names,  as  you  perceive  I  illustrate  and  prove  as 
I  go.  Hon.  N.  P.  Talmadge,  ex-governor  of  Xew  York,  and  for- 
merly United  States  Senator ;  Judge  Edmonds,  who  served  in  the 
Senate  of  New  York  and  was  a  judge  in  its  Supreme  Court,  who 
as  certainly  and  consciously  holds  daily  intercourse  with  his  ex- 
carnated  as  with  his  incarnated  friends  [and  who,  since  the  fore- 
going, has  passed  to  spirit  life,  and  given  his  earthly  friends  un- 
mistakable evidences  of  his  immortality.  I  had  the  pleasure,  in 
November,  18T5,  of  listening  to  an  eloquent  discourse  delivered 
in  New  York  by  Mrs.  Tappan,  purporting  to  come  from  him.  It 
may  not  be  amiss,  to  here  state  that  Horace  Greeley  was  also  a 
believer  in  this  philosophy,  as  was  Abraham  Lincoln,  who  is  said 
to  have  held  frequent  intercourse  with  the  spirit  world,  in  his  own 
home  circle]  ;  Professor  Hare,  one  of  the  most  profound  and  sci- 
entific men  the  world  has  ever  produced,  and  member  of  various 
learned  societies,  who,  being  a  materialist,  and  unbeliever  in  im- 
mortality, invented  an  ingenious  contrivance,  with  which  to  dis- 
prove and  refute  the  so-called  spirit  manifestations,  but  which  con- 
verted him,  and  proved  its  truth,  thus  making  him  a  happy  man, 
with  certain  prospect  of  immortal  life,  without  the  shadow  of  in- 
certitude; and  Brittan,  Tiffany,  Harris,  Dexter,  Ferguson,  New- 
ton, the  venerable  Dods,  who  wrote  a  book  to  show  that  all  the 
phenomena  of  spirit  intercourse  were  nothing  more  nor  less  than 
the  illusions  of  his  favorite  electrical  psychology,  but  was  finally 
forced,  by  demonstrative  evidence,  to  renounce  his  specious  the- 
ory, and  embrace  the  fact  of  spirit  existence  and  spirit  intercourse ; 
and  a  host  of  others  in  talents  as  well  as  numbers,  representative 
men  of  the  world,  lawyers,  doctors,  divines  of  eminence  in  Amer- 
ica, beside  many  of  the  most  learned  in  England,  France,  Ger- 
many, etc.,  among  whom,  I  believe,  are  Lord  Brougham,  Louis 


238  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

Napoleon,  etc.,  securely  and  serenely  moored  in  this  glorious  haven 
opened  up  by  modern  science.  Jew  and  Gentile,  Christian,  infi- 
del and  Pagan,  Moslem  and  Giaour,  and  all  creeds,  alike  may 
come  within  the  purview  of  this  glorious  evangel,  and  all  earth's 
children  may  come  and  lay  their  various  offerings  on  this  univer- 
sal altar  of  philosophy." 

We  will  next  give  some  extracts  from  "  Plain  Guide  to  Spirit- 
ualism," by  Uriah  Clark :  — 

"For  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  the  Christian  Church  and 
press  were  filled  with  prayers  and  predictions  that  God  would 
open  the  heavens  anew,  that  the  Holy  Ghost  would  come  down 
with  power,  that  Jesus  Christ  would  descend  in  glory  and  majesty, 
that  angel  armies  would  marshal  themselves  for  fresh  battles  with 
earth  and  hell,  that  some  mighty  manifestation  would  be  made 
from  the  skies,  to  flood  earth  with  overwhelming  showers  and 
flame,  like  tongues  of  fire,  and  thunder  with  vibrations  to  quake 
the  dead  souls  of  the  apathetic  masses,  and  jar  from  their  centre 
the  very  walls  and  foundations  where  multitudes  congregated. 
But  the  very  first,  faint  sound,  coming  in  response  to  these 
prayers  and  predictions,  sent  terror  into  the  heart  of  modern 
Christendom.  While  in  the  very  act  of  praying  and  predicting 
that  some  celestial  manifestations  of  power  and  majesty  might  be 
made,  lo,  a  feeble  sound  was  heard  on  the  altar  floor,  or  pulpit 
case,  and  priest  and  people  were  seized  with  alarm ;  they  turn 
pale  with  affright;  their  prayers  shake  them,  and  they  take  them 
back ;  they  pray  God  to  forgive  them,  for  asking  more  than  they 
■were  prepared  to  i-eceive ;  Catholics  cross  themselves,  and  Protest- 
ants beg  to  be  absolved ;  through  the  blue  goggles  of  their  dog- 
mas, they  see  '  hydras,  gorgons,  chimeras  dire,'  pale  phantoms  of 
alarm,  shrieking  ghosts,  wandering  wild  in  the  midnight  air,  and 
weird  hags,  like  those  mumbling  in  Macbeth  ;  and  they  cry  out, 
*  Delusion,  Beelzebub !  Back,  demons  damned,  ye  legioned  throngs 
clothed  in  the  alluring  light  of  the  spheres.' 

Practical  Spiritualism  is  summed  up  in  one  word,  —  love  ;  love 
to  God  manifest  in  love  to  humanity.  While  Spiritualists  seek 
no  central  creed,  no  fixed  platform  of  intellectual  opinion,  no  rigid 
system  of  theology,  binding  the  conscience  and  trammelling  free- 
dom, they  are  united  in  one  grand,  central  element  of  fraternal 
love,  encircling  the  family  of  earth  and  heaven.    We  can  all  agree, 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  239 

without  controversy,  in  regard  to  this  central  principle,  for  there 
is  one  common  chord  of  benevolence  running  through  the  great 
heart  of  humanity,  which  needs  only  to  be  touched  aright,  to  vi- 
brate in  harmony  with  the  angel  world.  But  men  may  quarrel 
everlastingly  about  abstract  creeds,  and  systems  addressed  to  the 
head  alone,  without  coming  to  any  uniform  opinion,  while  their 
hearts  are  rent  with  discord,  or  left  cold,  desolate,  untouched. 
The  religious  world,  for  ages,  has  endeavored  to  unite  in  creeds 
and  forms  to  save  humanity,  but  with  what  lamentable  results ! 
It  has  not  saved  even  itself,  and  to-day  the  churches  are  found 
waning  and  powerless ;  and  while  they  are  contending  over  the 
*dry  bones'  of  old  faith  and  formulas  past  all  resurrection,  mill- 
ions of  the  ignorant,  erring,  fallen,  and  unbelieving  are  left  to 
pine  and  perish  outside  the  pale  of  redemption. 

In  this  emergency  Spiritualism  makes  its  advent.  It  is  scouted 
by  sectarians  and  would-be  philosophers,  because  it  begins  with 
no  rigid  system  or  creed,  but  leaves  each  individual  conscience 
and  intellect  free  to  seek  and  decide  for  itself,  while  it  first  aims 
to  reach  the  heart  and  awaken  those  divine  religious  affections 
paramount  over  every  other  department  of  human  nature.  We 
thank  God  and  the  angel  world  that  Spiritualism  comes  as  a  re- 
ligion of  the  affections.  It  embraces  all  science,  philosophy,  rea- 
son, intellect ;  but  its  angel  hands  reach  down  through  all  these 
and  first  seek  to  lay  hold  of  the  slumbering  chords  of  the  human 
heart.  *  He  that  loveth  is  born  of  God  and  knoweth  God ;  for  God 
is  love.' 

John  goes  on  to  say,  in  substance,  that  divine  love  was  manifest 
in  Jesus ;  that  men  may  know  whether  they  have  this  love  by  the 
spiritual  witness  within  them;  that  no  man  can  love  God  without 
loving  his  brother  man.  Recognizing  God  as  the  Father  Spirit  of 
all  souls,  whose  essence  is  love,  every  spirit  or  angel  commissioned 
of  God  to  visit  humanity  must  come  on  errands  of  love,  and  is  a 
manifestation  of  the  Christ-principle,  the  Holy  Ghost,  or  the 
Holy  Host  of  heaven,  whether  that  spirit  or  angel  be  one  of  the 
departed  saints  of  sacred  history  or  a  little  child  just  gone  from 
the  humblest  home  below.  There  is  no  small  or  great  in  the 
spiritual  kingdom  now  being  inaugurated  on  earth,  no  high  or 
low,  no  rich  or  poor,  but  all  are  one  in  the  fellowship  of  love  en- 
girting  the  universe.  Could  we  take  some  lofty  standpoint  in  the 
spirit  world,  and  gaze  down  through  all  the  transient  grades  and 


240  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK, 

conditions  of  humanity,  seeing  as  angels  see,  "we  should  discover 
one  central  element  of  love  more  or  less  pervading  all  souls,  and 
learn  that  most  of  the  evils,  errors,  and  differences  existing  among 
the  millions  below  were  less  than  our  false  judgment  had  appre- 
hended, while  every  being  would  reveal  a  germ  of  divinity  destined 
to  mount  and  burn  with  glory  among  the  celestial  hosts  of  eternal 
progress.  The  rapidity  with  which  manifestations  have  spread, 
and  the  avidity  with  which  they  are  believed,  together  with  the 
fact  that  all  past  ages  have  demonstrated  something  similar,  sug- 
gest to  us  that  man  has  a  spiritual  nature  \vhich  cannot  be  satis- 
fied without  a  belief  in  Spiritualism.  This  belief  expands  his 
soul  with  all  the  great  hopes  and  aspirations  which  leap  beyond 
the  skies,  and  is  the  citadel  on  which  he  stands  when  all  other 
foundations  are  swept  away  on  the  winds  and  waves  of  time. 
Without  a  consciousness  of  something  within  him  which  shall 
survive  the  mutations  of  time,  something  allied  to  God,  another 
realm  of  higher  intelligences,  what  were  this  life  to  the  suffering 
millions  ?  And  it  is  to  this  consciousness  we  must  appeal,  if  we 
would  have  Spiritualism  reach  the  hearts  of  the  people.  You  go 
to  your  sceptical  brother  and  tell  him  of  the  wonderful  manifes- 
tations you  have  seen  and  which  he  may  see ;  but  perhaps  he 
treats  your  story  with  levity.  But  you  then  appeal  to  his  own 
interior  nature ;  you  ask  if  he  has  not  some  hopes,  some  desires, 
some  affections  which  reach  beyond  the  grave ;  if  some  dear  one 
has  not  gone  before  him,  with  whom  he  would  like  to  commune, 
and  if  he  would  not  feel  happier  and  better  to  know  all  this. 
And  he  will  cease  his  levity,  and  perchance,  while  his  bosom 
heaves,  a  tear  will  steal  into  his  eyes ;  and  he  will  turn  away,  re- 
solved to  seek  for  light,  and  to  search  his  own  soul.  0,  could  we 
but  touch  the  right  chord  in  the  hearts  of  our  brothers  and  sis- 
ters, we  should  no  longer  suffer  their  raillery,  but  feel  their  hands 
grasped  in  warm  fellowship,  and  see  their  faces  wet  with  streams 
of  joy  and  love  !  The  dull  multitudes  plodding  along  life  as 
though  there  were  naught  to  do  but  eat,  drink,  and  die,  are  star- 
tled with  new  views  of  the  mission  of  man,  and  begin  to  feel 
there  is  a  divinity  within  allied  to  God,  and  destined  to  walk  eter- 
nity in  the  companionship  of  angels.  The  poor,  the  lowly,  the 
lost  are  lifted  up  in  communion  with  worlds  and  beings  of  kingly 
glory  and  grandeur,  and  no  longer  feel  they  are  the  reprobates  of 
God  and  the  offcasts  of  creation.     The  gospel  equalizes  all  grades 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  241 

and  conditions  in  one  Land  of  fraternity,  and  makes  the  ricli  and 
the  poor  sit  down  together  as  common  guests  at  the  board  around 
which  angels  minister  celestial  messages.     No  lines  are  drawn  in 
the  kingdom  of  spiritual  love  and  truth.     The  opening  heavens 
shine  down  as  brightly  through  the  lowly  hamlets  and  dingy  dun- 
geons, as  on  gilded  palaces  and  proud  spires  piercing  the  clouds  ; 
and  with  noiseless  flight  the  spirit  bauds  wing  their  way  down 
over  the  wide  plains  of  humanity,  whispering  the  music  of  the 
spheres  to  attune  our  souls  in  harmony  with  the  sons  of  God, 
shouting  their  anthems  amid  the  melody  of  the  morning  stars  of 
primeval  creation.     And  they  come  with  light  to  shine  along  the 
darkest  path  of  life,  and  with  beacons  to  point  our  way  over  the 
billows  which  shall  soon  waft  our  spirits  whither  the  generations 
of  the  past  have  gone  before  us.     No  Sinai  shall  quake,  no  Olym- 
pus shall  thunder,  no  Jerusalem  shall  be  clothed  in  the  tragic 
drapery  of  Calvary,  no  war  gods  shall  rattle  their  fiery  chariots 
over  continents  deluged  in  blood,  no  dogmas  of  human  terror, 
like  volcanic  flames,  shall  heave  forth  edicts  of  damnation  on  trem- 
bling millions ;  but  the  mountain-tops  of  the  century  shall  gleam 
with  the  sunlight  of  angel  faces,  and  echo  the  harmonic  songs  of 
the  empyrean.    Tidings  already  break  from  the  myriad  lips  of  tlie 
beloved  and  beautiful  bending  with  benedictions  over  the  hearts 
and  homes   of  humanity.     Fear  not !     Hells   may   clang   with 
alarms,   and   millions  turn   pale   amid   revolutions   threatening 
thrones  and  republics,  but  the  guardians  of  the  eternal  sit  calm 
in  the  council  chambers  of  heaven,  and  over  the  turbulent  sea  of 
human  discord  breathe  the  air  and  pour  the  oil  of  celestial  har- 
mony.    Sit  calm  in  the  temple  of  thine  own  soul  amid  the  din. 
and  jar  of  the  outer  world,  and  thou  shalt  hear  cadences  echoing 
down  from  the  grand  anthem  evermore  sounding  through  the' 
corridors  of  the  upper  world.    Scenes  shall  soon  unfold  to  human, 
vision  transcending  what  olden  seers  and  sages  longed  to  behold.. 
Millions  of  mortals  shall  bathe  in  the  coming  Pentecost  of  ages- 
Arise,  priests,  rulers,  and  people,  arise !     Gird  on  your  sandals 
anew,  and  catch  the  mantles  of  the  ascended  as  they  come  back. 
in  chariots  of  lightning  with  the  flames  of  living  inspiration.. 
Dash  each  tear  from  thine  eye,  stifle  each  fear,  fling  thy  sighs  tO' 
the  winds,  walk  forth  with  the  tread  of  a  god  in  thy  footstep,,, 
fighting  life's  battles  side  by  side  with  that  celestial  army  '  whose- 
white  tents  are  already  struck  for  the  morning  march  of  eternity.'' 


242  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

Tlie  Lord  God  omnipotent  reigneth  !  The  conncil  chambers  of 
the  eternal  world  stand  open,  and  the  congresses  of  celestial  em- 
pires are  seeking  to  guide  the  destiny  of  nations.  The  ascended 
saints,  sages,  and  patriots  of  America,  the  heroes  and  victors  of 
battle-fields  once  red  with  blood,  and  glorious  with  the  trophies 
of  freedom,  and  all  the  armies  bearing  palms  on  the  plains  of 
immortal  life,  now  bend  with  wisdom  over  the  conflict  rending 
your  continent,  bidding  you  still  remember  the  brotherhood  of 
the  race  ;  and  above  the  clamor  of  belligerent  hosts,  tlie  clash  of 
arms  and  thunder  of  artillery,  listen  once  more  to  angel  anthems 
of  peace  and  good-will." 

We  will  again  quote  from  the  earnest  and  eloquent  Kem- 
bert : — 

"  We  should  strive  for  improvement,  moral,  mental,  physical, 
and  be  kind,  charitable,  and  sympathetic  with  each  other,  crush- 
ing every  impulse  of  anger  and  cherishing  every  impulse  of  love; 
knowing  that  we  all  here  inherit  the  same  or  equal  frailties,  and 
that  others  too  have  their  wrongs,  which  are  parts  of  our  patri- 
mony we  cannot  help,  nor  the  Creator  himself  avoid,  but  which 
will  all  be  ultimately  purged  off  under  his  great  law  of  progres- 
sion ;  that  those  we  hear  of  as  so  great  and  good  become  less  so 
as  intimate  acquaintance  discloses  weakness  and  bad  traits;  and 
also  those  reputed  as  weak  and  bad  improve  as  acquaintance  dis- 
covers traits  of  goodness  and  mentality ;  in  short,  that  none  are 
80  good  and  so  great,  or  so  bad  and  so  simple,  as  we  hear ;  that  in- 
tercourse tends  to  equalize,  as  also  all  knowledge  and  progression; 
that  the  bubble  of  popular  reputation  floats  with  fortuities  and 
is  quickened  and  sustained  by  adventitious  circumstances;  and 
that  we  shall  yet  all  meet  in  realms  unfringed  with  wrong,  where 
we  shall  truly  know  each  other  by  an  unerring  aromal  emanation, 
or  electric  radiation,  or  magnetic  effluxion,  for  mind  will  then 
act  upon  and  perceive  mind  direct,  unencumbered  with  gross  in- 
tervening animal  sensoria.  And  the  anguish  of  parting  from  a 
loved  friend,  —  0,  this  is  the  bitterest  word  of  my  language,  the 
bitterest  moment  of  my  life,  —  parting,  parting  from  my  loved 
forever ! 

Great  God!  who  can  stand  it?  No,  thanks  to  His  philosophy 
of  our  life;  but  for  a  few  fleeting  moments,  mere  dewdrops  of 
time  to  the  vast  ocean  of  eternity,  in  which  we  will  all  meet  and 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  243 

live  in  love  wlion  parting  shall  be  known  no  more.  For  this,  0 
Great  Architect  of  creation's  temple,  I  would  send  a  shout  of 
gratitude  and  glory  to  ring  and  echo  along  thy  grand  aisles  and 
corridors  through,  all  the  eternal  >vorld  ! 

'  Congenial  spirits  part  to  meet  again.' 

Did  Campbell  comprehend  the  glorious  truth  he  thus  enunciated 
in  his  mellifluent  verse  ?  Yes,  to  meet  again,  to  meet  again ! 
friends  forever !  0,  the  heavenly  hallelujahs  that  reverberate 
along  the  vaulted  spheres  and  peopled  worlds,  and  echo  from  all 
the  orbs  of  light  that  spangle  this  vast  vault  around  us,  teeming 
with  intelligence  imparadised  in  eternity.  Xot  an  ecclesiastical 
Jubilate  Deo  for  '  the  plan  of  salvation,'  which  is  but  a  more 
pleasing  term  for  the  plan  of  damnation ;  but  a  grand  gush  of 
gratitude  that  swells  the  symphonies  of  all  His  immortal  crea- 
tions for  the  glorious  plan  of  progression  that  leads  us  to  the 
radiant  realms  of  His  own  glory,  the  glory  of  universal  and  im- 
mortal love. 

And  yet  this  sublime  science  that  thus  traces  our  origin,  and 
opens  the  portals  of  oi^r  glorious  destiny  of  reunion,  and  gives  us 
the  cream  of  our  conduct  and  daily  happiness,  is  assailed  and  op- 
posed with  energy  and  malignity;  this  opposition  consists  of  two 
classes  and  motives :  those  who  really  and  ardently  desire  and  be- 
lieve it  to  be  true,  and  fearing  the  wish  is  father  to  the  thought, 
oppose  it,  with  the  sole  view  of  eliciting  more  light,  in  order  to 
have  all  their  doubts  dispelled  to  their  entire  satisfaction ;  and 
those  who  do  not  desire  it  to  be  true,  or  to  be  accepted,  because  it 
will  wofully  interfere  with  the  fleshpots  that  keep  fat  on  their 
dogmas  :  it  is  this  class  that  evince  such  malignity.  As  for  the 
many  articles  published  in  the  hebdomadel  press  of  the  day,  cast- 
ing odium  or  derision  on  spiritual  mediums,  many  of  whom  also 
deserve  it,  it  is  generally  done  to  please  the  people,  and  i)audcr 
to  their  ignorant  prejudices,  and  thus  promote  the  popularity  of 
the  paper:  often  at  the  expense  and  sacrifice  of  truth.  I  know 
editors  who  do  this,  and  secretly  laugh  at  the  ignorance  of  their 
readers,  and  who  believe  in  the  truth  and  the  science,  and  admire 
the  grandeur  of  the  philosophy;  and  so  they  praise  a  popular 
man  with  prestige  and  position,  whom  they  heartily  hate  ;  they 
lack  the  nerve  to  stem  the  popular  current,  which  it  is  the  duty 


244  THE   UNSEAIiED  BOOK. 

of  every  journalist  to  direct,  and  not  float  with  it.    There  is  an- 
other class  who  are  totally  indifferent,  and  are  actuated  by  two 
different  motives :  first,  because  they  have  no  higher  aspirations 
than  the  prosperity  of  their  potato-patch,  or  cotton-field,  counter, 
or  card-table  ;  second,  those  that  have  immortal  longings,  bnt  fear 
*  it  is  too  good  to  be  true,'  and  being  cold  and  calculating  them- 
selves, they  feel  safe  if  it  is  true,  and  if  not  true  had  better  stick 
to  old  fuith  as  the  safer  course,  ugly  as  it  is ;  thus  governed 
alone  by  the  selfish  impulse  of  fear,  with  no  feeling  of  philanthro- 
py to  proclaim  the  glorious  truth  to  their  fellow-men.     Swine  will 
never  exchange  a  wallow  for  a  parlor,  there  it  was  raised,  and 
there  it  will  remain  ;  nor  would  the  ignorant  herd  of  biped  genus 
homo  exchange  their  finical  parlors  of  animal  gab  and  gossip   for 
the  cerebral  halls  of  intellectual  immortalities :  there  they  were 
reared,  and  there  they  would  remain.     Enough  of  this :  I  'm  sorry 
for  human  nature.      I  cannot  withhold  this  healing  balm  to  the 
bleeding  hearts  of  my  friends,  this  ineffable  comfort  for  the  sor- 
rowing souls  of  those  who  can  appreciate  it,  when  by  a  little  effort 
it  is  within  my  power  to  impart  it;  for  even  if  it  be  false,  we  are 
thus  made  happy  here,  and  shall  never  wake  up  hereafter  to  know 
or  realize  its  falsity.     As  for  the  interminable  hell  that  old  ortho- 
doxy Avould  have  catch  me,  for  thus  proclaiming  this  happy  philos- 
ophy, I  spurn  the  degrading  idea,  that  I  should  for  a  moment 
invest  the  character  of  my  Creator  with  the  diabolic  cruelty  of 
thus  punishing  me  forever  for  not  believing  in  this  very  diabolism, 
or  "for  believing  in  a  philosophy  that,  while  it  gives  a  glory  to  Him, 
also  gives  happiness  to  me.     The  fear  of  this  interminable  hell 
has  crazed  many  a  weak  brain,  and  is  n't  it  enough  ?  and  poured 
bitterness  in  the  fountains  of  many  a  life-stream  on  earth.     Many 
a  pitied  parent  has  poured  out  a  life  in  sorrow  over  the  premature 
death  of  an  adult  unconverted  child ;  what  would  heaven  be,  what 
could  it  be,  to  such  a  parent,  with  such  a  child,  in  such  a  hell  ? 
Let  not  this  dread  chimera  disturb  you,  my  friends :  do  eight 
AND  FEAR  NOTHING  ;  our  God  nevcr  made  His  children  to  be  vic- 
tims of  fear,  nor  stamped  eternity  on  misery ;  nor  do  his  works 
tend  downwards :  and  if  your  wicked  child  reach  Gehenna,  he  will 
soon  be  lifted  hence,  and  by  the  help  of  your  own  hands  ;  so  cheer 
thee,  bleeding  mother,  devoted  father  !  thy  loved  child  is  not  lost, 
nor  can  he,  while  God  and  His  philosophy  endure.    We  shall  all 
soon  fall  into  the  embraces  of  a  sweet  sleep,  and  serene  slumber, 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  '  245 

from  which  nothing  will  ever  disturb  us;  or  we  shall  wake  up  to 
meet  our  friends  again,  in  higher  and  happier  realms  of  life  and 
love.  And  let  us  fear  not  that  this  incessant  stream  from  God's 
vast  empire  of  life,  forever  pouring  into  those  higher  spheres,  will 
at  some  period  in  future  eternity,  howsoever  remote,  ultimately 
fill  them  beyond  capacity  for  more :  for  be  it  remembered.  His 
infinity  of  domain  is  equal  to  His  eternity  of  duration:  one  is 
coextensive  with  the  other,  and  both  illimitable.  And  though  we' 
follow  science  as  the  footsteps  of  God,  and  would  analyze  the 
higher  heavens,  and  anatomize  archangel  life,  and  analyze  the 
deep  arcana  of  all  hereafter,  we  yet  must  know  that  mystery  and 
wonder  will  ever  rise  above  and  hover  around  our  heads,  as  the 
sunlight  dazzles  our  physical  eyes.  This  is  enough  for  the  philo- 
sophic mind:  if 


'An  angel's  arm  can't  snatch  us  from  the  tomb. 
Legions  of  angeis  can't  confine  us  there' ; 

•  Night  dews  fall  not  more  gently  to  the  ground, 
Nor  weary,  worn-out  winds  expire  so  soft.' 

'  Is  it  his  death-bed  ?    No,  it  is  his  shrine  ; 
Behold  him,  there,  just  rising  to  a  god.' 

"T  is  the  last  pang,  he  calmly  said  ; 
To  me,  O  death !  thou  hast  no  dread,  — 

Father,  I  come  I 
Spread  but  thine  arms  on  yonder  sliore  — 
I  seel  ye  waters  bear  me  o'er  ; 

There  is  my  home! ' 


Now,  to  men  of  science,  those  philosophical  minds  who  float 
with  fate  and  drift  with  destiny,  seeing  no  certain  light,  but  un- 
certain hope,  whose  faint  effulgence  only  leads  their  ardent  aspira- 
tions to  disappointment  and  despair ;  to  the  rationalistic  inlidel 
and  scientific  naturalist,  I  would  specially  address  myself,  and 
with  the  deepest  sympathies  of  my  soul.  You  are  free  from  par- 
tiality and  prejudice,  untrammelled  with  sects  and  sectaries,  un- 
tinged  with  sacramental  symbols,  above  the  narrow  bounds  of 
bigotry,  and  seek  trutli,  free,  untarnished  truth,  as  it  beams 
from  the  burnished  throne  through  all  the  works  of  nature's 


246  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

grand  economy.  I  give  you  cordial  greeting  on  this  splendid 
tribune  of  truth,  where  science  gathers  her  jewels,  and  from  her 
starry  wings  sheds  them  on  her  votaries.  You  are  disgusted  with 
human  nature,  sick  of  the  world  and  its  ways,  and  turn  from  the 
follies  brought  on  the  new  philosophy  by  human  weakness  and 
depravity.  We  should  not  wonder  at  the  huge  humbuggery 
and  charlatanism,  the  jugglers  and  tricksters  that  have  gathered 
around  these  glorious  revelations,  for  such  has  been  the  case  with 
all  the  simpler  and  less  alluring  or  less  inviting  apocalypses  of  all 
past  time,  of  all  the  bibles  from  Brahma  to  Mohammed,  and  es- 
pecially with  the  Jewish  Bible  and  Christian  revelations.  See 
what  stupendous  fabrics  of  superstition  have  been  reared  and  per- 
petuated on  this  simple  revelation.  It  is  all  poor  human  nature. 
Let  us  independently  investigate  the  credibility  and  philosophy 
of  the  phenomena,  and  not  abjectly  submit  to  the  forged  formu- 
laries of  a  paid  priesthood,  otherwise  we  never  shall  be  free;  for 
it  is  still  poor  human  nature  we  have  to  deal  with.  If  thousands 
profess  to  be  called  of  God  specially  to  preach,  we  should  not 
wonder  at  other  thousands  professing  to  be  inspired  and  commu- 
nicated with  by  angels  of  their  own  ilk,  for  certainly  it  is  greatly 
less  pretentious  to  hold  communion  with  our  own  kith  and  kin 
excarnated,  than  with  the  great  God  and  Creator,  whom  no  man 
hath  seen,  or  can  see,  or  hear.  Your  towering  aspirations  have 
soared  in  vain  to  find  an  exalted  home  of  purity,  permanence, 
and  peace,  beyond  the  hazy  horizon  of  mundane  mutations.  You 
have  seen  the  utter  inadequacy,  the  futility,  the  absurdity,  and  the 
falsity  of  all  the  revelations  as  expounded  and  proclaimed  by  pon- 
tiff and  preacher,  califf  and  clergy.  Science  has  lighted  up  to  you 
the  dark  vaults  of  their  superstitions,  and  exposed  their  corrup- 
tions toyour  enlightened  view.  You  can  have  no  hope  here.  And 
even  discarding  the  disgusting  dogmas  interpolated  in  the  Chris- 
tian Bible  and  embracing  its  fundamental  enunciations  as  of  divine 
origination,  as  interpreted  by  its  official  dignitaries,  the  diaboli- 
cal anathemas  of  hell  and  damnation  without  end,  to  hia  children, 
invest  the  character  of  our  Creator  with  an  attribute  of  cruelty  and 
malignity,  which,  coupled  with  his  omnipotence,  would  transform 
his  whole  universe  into  a  boundless,  an  illimitable  hell,  without  a 
pulse  of  pleasure  to  beat  to  the  dead  march  of  mourning  millions 
unnumbered.  No  hope  here.  And  even  its  heaven  in  the  dim 
and  uncertain  distance  of  hereafter,  so  loudly  glorified,  and  the 


THE  UNSEALED   BOOK.  247 

plan  of  salvation  so  mucli  lauded  as  the  paragon  of  perfection  in 
divine  wisdom  and  love,  indeed,  as  the  mount  on  which  mercy  aud 
justice  kissed  each  other,  fail,  utterly  fail,  to  still  the  troubled 
throbbings  of  the  enlightened  human  heart  that  beats  with  phi- 
lanthropy and  philosophy  in  unison  with  the  angels.     Only  a  mod- 
icum of  earth's  millions  ever  hear  an  echo  of  this  salvation,  and 
but  a  fraction  of  this  modicum  can  reach  the  portals  of  that  dis- 
tant heaven,  dismal  in  the  distance.     But  of  those  favored  few 
that  do  pass  within  its  pearly  portals,  —  their  memories,  where 
are  they?     The  cherished  endearments  of  time,  —  do  they  live 
forever  ?     Our  memories  are  either  taken  with  us  after  death,  and 
retained  in  heaven,  or  they  are  not.     If  retained,  the  recollections 
of  loved  and  lost  friends,  now  in  a  hopeless  hell  of  eternal  damna- 
tion, must  wake  an  echo  to  mar  the  music  of  that  celestial  sphere, 
and  inflict  an  anguish  to  throb  in  the  very  bosom  of  bliss ;  ay, 
will  wake  a  wail  of  woe  that  shall  sound  upon  the  long  roll  of 
eternal  years,  as  ever  and  anon  the  constant  cry  of  'he  cometh 
not,  he  cometh  not,'  shall  ring  out  upon  the  cycles  of  eternity. 
But  if  our  memories  are  not  retained,  then  the  hallowed  associa- 
tions, the  sacred  friendships  and  loves,  our  foretaste  of  heaven, 
nay,  our  very  haecceity,  must  die  out  with  death,  and  this  heaven 
is  no  reunion  of  kindred  spirits  ;  the  pure  emotions  of  earth  that 
assimilate  us  to  the  angel  life  are  not  to  be  rekindled  in  the 
Christian   heaven.     Will  death   roll  a  Lethean  stream   over  all 
earth's  love,  and  the  wave  of  oblivion  bury  forever  the  cherished 
reminiscences  of  time  ?     Here  the  vortices  of  Scylla  and  Charyb- 
dis  open  before  us.     JVo  liope  here.     In  agony  aud  despair,  you 
leave  all  the  miraculous  revelations,  and  look  to  science.    She  was 
teaching  you  that  spirit  is  but  the  result  of  physical  organism, 
and  must  perish  with  the  dissolution  of  the  material  organization  ; 
that  we  have  no  undying  nature. 

In  despair  again,  but  not  in  agony,  you  seek  the  solace  of  obliv- 
ion, and  suck  sweetness  from  the  cup  of  nothing,  —  nepenthe 
from  oblivion  ;  you  claim  and  court  the  Brahminical  privilege  of 
Narvana,  and  implore  the  great  Beldeva  to  still  your  throbbing 
heart,  and  cool  your  fevered  brow  in  Lethe's  turbid  wave  ;  for  ia 
not  this  eternal  sleep  a  sweet  repose  in  comparison  with  the  bitter 
life  of  all  these  old  revelations  ? 

You  draw  a  virtue  from  this  stern  necessity,  and  call  on  the 
grave  to  cover  you  forever  with  its  cold  clods,  and  extinguish,  O 


24S  THE   UNSEALED    BOOK. 

death,  this  little  lamp  of  life,  that  it  may  flicker  no  more  amid 
the  damps  of  death,  where  the  oxygen  of  hope  only  buds  out  the 
blossoms  of  the  human  heart  for  the  nitrogen  of  death  to  blast  and 
wither.  0,  put  out  this  little  light  that  only  illumes  the  wrecks 
of  hope  and  the  ruins  of  love.  The  ruins  of  love !  who  can  pic- 
ture them  ?  Who  paint  the  human  hopes  that  bud  out  like  blos- 
soms of  the  human  heart,  —  for  what  ?  to  fruit  a  heritage  of 
hereafter  ?  No ;  to  be  crushed  and  consigned  to  the  ruins  of 
love!  beside  which  Volney's  ruins  are  the  playthings  of  children. 
Imagine  the  pillared  universe  dissolving,  the  throne  of  Deity 
crumbling,  the  seraphim,  and  cherubim,  and  all  the  archangel 
host,  falling  and  tumbling  from  their  high-sjohered  beatitudes  in 
indistinguishable  ruin,  and  you  may  then  conceive  the  mighty 
meaning  and  significance  of  the  ruins  of  love. 

You  look  to  science,  and  this  is  the  lesson  she  teaches  you : 
That  all  your  hopes  will  fall  in  wrecks,  and  all  your  loves  dissolve 
in  ruins,  and  the  silence  of  sleep  enwrap  you  forever  in  the 
shroud  of  oblivion.  No  hope,  no  hope !  You  would  sink  under 
your  iliad  of  woes.  But  stay  yet  longer  with  me  on  this  favored 
tribune  of  truth,  where  science  drops  her  gems  and  sheds  her 
sweetest  rays  serene.  Know  ye  not  she's  culled  another,  and  her 
highest  truth,  to  crown  the  character  of  mankind  ?  Know  ye 
not  her  last  and  mightiest  truth,  that  unlocks  the  chambers  of 
angelic  life,  and  opens  portals  of  immortality  for  the  aspirations 
of  the  true  ?  And  against  this  grand  and  mightiest  truth  of 
science,  which  connects  its  electric  wires  of  mind  to  spheres 
where  the  wreck  of  hopes  and  ruins  of  love  are  unfeared  and  un- 
known, beyond  the  regions  of  convolving  vapor,  charged  with 
unequal  lightning  and  muttering  thunder,  —  against  this  sweet 
serene  of  science  are  hurled  the  shafts  of  bitter  invective  and 
cruel  calumny  by  those  for  whom  it  weaves  a  mantle  of  undying 
love  and  charity,  —  some  who  look  to  science  but  fear  opin- 
ion. 

This  bright  luminary  that  science  has  unfolded  in  the  firma- 
ment is  inveighed  against,  barked  at,  and  assailed  by  the  poor 
canine  kindred  of  the  human  family,  who  follow  less  science  than 
fear  and  prejudice.  Just  so,  you  know,  was  the  great  Watt  op- 
posed, and  his  great  labor-saving  discovery,  because  it  would  sup- 
plant and  save  human  labor,  just  as  this  will  supplant  prelatic 
ofiiciation  and  save  human  sorrow  ;  and  so  the  mighty  man  of 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  249 

"Wnrtemberg  was  maligned  and  menaced  because  he  lettered  the 
language  for  earth's  pitied  children,  and  the  printing-press  was 
ascribed  to  diabolism.  And  so  the  opposition  to  the  establish- 
ment of  the  Royal  Society,  because  it  was  asserted  that  the  exper- 
imental philosophy  was  subversive  of  the  Christian  faith  ;  and  the 
readers  of  D'Israeli  will  remember  the  telescope  and  microscope 
were  stigmatized  as  atheistical  inventions,  which  perverted  our 
organ  of  sight  and  made  everything  appear  in  a  false  light.  So 
late  as  1806  the  An ti- Vaccination  Society  denounced  the  discovery 
of  vaccination  as  a  gross  violation  of  religion,  morality,  law,  and 
humanity.  It  was  denounced  from  the  pulpit  as  diabolical, 
tempting  of  God's  providence,  an  invention  of  Satan,  a  wresting 
out  of  the  hands  of  the  Almighty  the  divine  dispensation  of 
Providence,  and  its  abettors  were  charged  with  sorcery  and  athe- 
ism. When  fanning-machines  Avere  first  introduced  to  winnow 
the  chaff  from  the  wheat  by  producing  an  artificial  current  of  air, 
it  was  argued  that  winds  were  raised  by  God  alone,  and  it  was 
irreligious  in  man  to  attempt  to  raise  wind  for  himself  and  by 
efforts  of  his  own.  And  one  Scottish  clergyman  refused  the  holy 
communion  to  those  of  his  parishioners  who  thus  irreverently 
raised  the  Devil's  wind. 

You  remember  how  the  innocent  recreation  of  dancing  is  de- 
nounced by  the  Puritanical  pious ;  '  that  the  dance  is  the  Devil's 
procession ;  the  woman  that  singeth  in  the  dance  is  the  prioress  of 
the  Devil,  and  those  that  answer  are  his  clerks,  and  the  beholders 
are  his  parishioners,  and  the  music  are  the  bells,  and  the  fiddlers 
are  the  ministers  of  the  Devil,'  etc.,  (often  better  ministers  than 
some  otliers  of  greater  pretensions  we  wot  of.)  The  great  Kepler, 
for  his  grand  astronomic  revelations,  was  accused  of  conjuration 
with  the  Devil ;  and  see  how  were  treated  Gallileo,  Faust,  Socra- 
tes, and  a  host  of  other  moral  luminaries,  representative  men  — 
no,  not  all  —  for  some  lived  in  supernal  spheres,  many  centuries 
beyond  their  age  and  generation.  And  Jesus  Christ,  who  preached 
peace  and  charity  on  earth,  and  happiness  and  immortality  in 
heaven,  to  the  good,  Avas  crucified  because  he  claimed  to  be  a  son 
of  our  common  Father.  What  boots  it,  then,  if  we,  too,  be  con- 
temned and  ostracised  ?  Let  the  old  theologue  plod  the  path 
that  pays,  the  rampant  preacher  valiantly  demolish  the  man  of 
steam  he  builds ;  and  let  the  wrangling  politician  intrigue  and 
trade  for  the  spoils  of  oflSce,  or  labor  for  the  ephemeral  glory  of  a 


250  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

momentary  notoriety  ;  be  it  our  mission,  both  humble  and  proud, 
or  public  or  private,  to  trace  the  glimmering  threads  of  light  that 
reach  us  from  a  higher  world,  investigate  the  arganon  of  nature, 
teach  charity  and  truth,  inculcate  love  as  the  element  of  immor- 
tality, and  claim,  and  cherish,  and  cultivate  kindred  with  the  an- 
gel world.  This  world  of  fools  may  call  us  infatuated,  mad, 
crazy.  Did  they  not  call  the  great  Chatham  mad,  because  he 
denounced  the  Crown  and  declared  Britain  '  never  could  con- 
quer America,  never,  never  ! '  Then  call  us  mad,  because  we  de- 
nounce the  crown  of  popular  prejudice,  and  declare  death  and 
hell  never  can  conquer  our  loves,  never,  never  !  Did  they  not  call 
the  great  orator  and  scientific  statesman  and  philosopher,  Edmund 
Burke,  whose  name  illuminates  Irish  and  British  history,  mad, 
because  he  foretold  the  unhappy  results  of  the  French  Kevolution, 
and  in  fiery  denunciations  of  the  ministry,  thundered  to  the  Chair 
of  the  Commons  the  words  of  St.  Paul,  '  I  am  not  mad,  most  noble 
Festus,  but  speak  the  words  of  truth  and  soberness,'  and  predicted 
that  in  twenty  years  the  world  would  call  his  accusers  mad ;  and 
also  because  in  his  tender  and  affectionate  memory  for  his  de- 
ceased son,  whom  he  feared,  and  perhaps  believed,  he  would  never 
meet  again,  for  the  world  then  had  no  proof  to  satisfy  his  philo- 
sophic mind  of  immortality,  because  he  would  embrace  and  caress, 
in  the  most  touching  manner,  his  son's  favorite  horse !  I,  too, 
have  done  the  same  thing,  and  do  now  caress  and  pet  the  favorite 
horse  of  my  sou,  —  lost  and  loved,  —  so  like  his  young  master,  so 
spirited  and  yet  so  gentle;  and  so,  likewise,  does  his  sister,  so  de- 
voted to  his  memory;  indeed,  his  memory,  now,  is  our  family 
shrine.  Am  I  and  my  artless,  innocent,  and  affectionate  daughter, 
then  —  ay,  and  everybody  who  has  this  deep  devotion  of  love,  this 
idiocy,  or  idiocrasy,  or  idiosyncrasy,  as  the  callous  brute  might 
call  it —  infatuated,  mad  ?  Ay,  we  would,  indeed,  be  mad,  if  the 
noble  son  and  brother,  though  '  unconverted,'  were  consigned  by 
God  to  an  endless  hell,  or  endless  nihility,  that  we  nevermore 
should  meet  his  manly  form,  nor  share  his  genial  sympathies.  Is 
this  quenchless  love,  unfolded  from  our  life  like  the  unconscious 
flower  from  the  earth,  a  pretty  principle  to  fade  forever  after  a 
fleeting  hour  ?  Or  is  it  an  infant  attribute,  an  emanation  of  the 
eternal  God,  to  light  our  life  forever,  quenchless  as  yon  fires  that 
light  the  firmament  ?  Let  us  investigate  and  be  patient,  trusting 
to  the  goodness  of  that  God  who  has  planted  our  path  with  the 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  251 

myrtle  and  the  rose,  and  strewed  our  bed  with  flowers,  to  gratify 
our  love  for  the  pure  and  the  beautiful,  with  which  he  hath  en- 
dowed us,  that  he  will  yet  gratify  all  our  loves,  and  plant  us,  too, 
among  the  fadeless  flowers  of  the  spheres  where  love  immortal 
blooms  !  You  will  recollect  how  Franklin,  and  Fulton,  and  Fitch 
were  derided,  and  the  greatest  and  best  men  of  the  world  ridi- 
culed and  insulted.  But  all  this  is  passing  away  before  tliQ  march 
of  mind,  and  will  not  deter  your  honest  and  fearless  spirits  of 
moral  heroism.  '  The  world  moves  for  all  that.'  Science  marches 
on,  and  destiny  develops,  and  philosophy  unfolds,  silent  as  the 
circle  of  the  sun,  steady  as  the  travel  of  a  star,  and  sure  as  the 
annals  of  eternity. 

I  ask  you  to  investigate  this  philosoiDhy,  —  for  it  is  open  to  all, 
and  specially  invites  you  philomathic  men  of  wisdom, —  examine  its 
records,  inspect  its  muniments,  test  its  truth,  and  appropriate  the 
precious,  jiriceless  pearl,  to  glitter  in  the  galaxy  of  your  loves. 
Study  well  this  mysterious  and  hitherto  unknown  principle  of 
the  human  mind  and  of  nature ;  and  most  especially  I  entreat 
you,  to  analyze  the  wonderful  mysteries  of  modern  contempora- 
neous record;  search  the  secret  of  the  startling  phenomena  of 
daily  development  and  occurence  around  you,  as  chronicled  in  the 
periodical  press  of  Spiritual  literature,  so  accessible  to  all;  the 
thrilling  incidents,  and  startling  intelligence  in  the  youth  and 
early  years  of  deceased  friends,  intelligence  long  forgotten,  or  en- 
tirely unknown,  contrary  to  the  impressions  and  opinions  of  all 
in  carnal  connection,  but  afterwards  found  to  be  true,  and  which 
could  have  been  communicated  by  none  but  those  who  thus  avow 
themselves,  we  know  to  be  deceased ;  and  sometimes  the  very  air 
is  vocal  with  the  chord  melodies  of  these  angelic  spirits  who  for- 
merly wore  the  flesh  of  men. 

These  facts  and  millions  more,  occurring  in  all  ages  and  gener- 
ations, and  in  our  own  age,  and  in  our  own  midst,  as  well  avouched 
and  authenticated  as  any  other  facts  not  within  our  personal 
cognition,  and  which  urgently  invite  personal  cognizance,  certainly 
challenge  and  should  command  your  most  devoted  investigation. 
Is  it  psychometry  ?  If  so,  how  could  the  psychometer  perceive 
them,  unless  they  or  their  representatives  were  somewhere,  and 
and  accessible,  when  in  actual  existence  ?  Then  it  must  be  ocular 
demonstration  of  immortality.  Is  it  psychologic  illusion  ?  If  so, 
whence  come  the  facts  unknown  to  all  at  the  time  ?    Is  it  due  to 


252  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

an  abnormal  excitation,  or  mysterious  mental  exuberation  ?  If 
so,  whence  the  cause  of  this  condition,  when  in  a  state  of  perfect 
passivity  ?  and  whence  the  source  of  the  great  truths  uttered  ?  I 
call  upon  the  learned  to  explicate  these  occult  elements,  unfold 
the  latent  agencies  of  these  potent  phenomena,  under  test  condi- 
tions that  admit  of  no  collusion  or  deception,  if  they  be  not,  as 
invariably  claimed,  messages  of  immortality  from  our  friends  who 
have  passed  the  mystic  portal.  Hear  the  burning  words  through 
the  mouth  of  a  medium,  from  the  great  Greek,  whose  fame  like 
him  of  Latium  two  centuries  later,  fills  the  spheres  of  our  world: 
a  fame  that  has  no  ensanguined  track  of  victims  to  deplore,  no 
writhing  desolation  to  bewail,  like  Titus  and  Vespasian  over  Jeru- 
salem in  ruins,  with  its  bleeding  sons,  and  famishing  mother  de- 
vouring her  child;  no  weltering  Waterloo  to  weep  over,  like 
Wellington,  when  his  melting  eyes  surveyed  the  bloody  carnage 
he  had  wrought ;  whose  escutcheon  is  untarnished  with  a  tear, 
and  unstained  with  a  drop  of  human  blood ;  whose  melody  is 
unmarred  with  the  widow's  moan  or  an  orphan's  sigh,  pure  and 
spotless  as  the  cerulean  ether  that  poured  its  inspirations  into  his 
great  soul.  '  Had  you  asked  me  concerning  God  a  thousand  years 
ago,  I  could  have  told  you  all  about  him,  but  now,  after  I  have 
walked  the  highway  of  celestial  worlds  for  more  than  two  thou- 
sand years,  I  am  so  far  lost  and  overpowered  amid  the  splendors 
of  infinitude,  I  can  say  nothing;  height  on  height  beyond  the 
penetration  of  finite  vision,  I  see  the  dim  outlines  of  a  deitific 
universe ;  I  feel  the  flood-tides  of  Divinity  flowing  down  through 
all  the  avenues  of  my  immortal  being ;  I  hear  peal  after  peal  of 
archangel  eloquence  ringing  through  the  endless  archways  of  the 
empyrean,  evermore  sounding  into  my  ears  the  name  of  God,  God, 
God  !  I  'm  silent,  dumb.'  Is  n't  this  Demosthenaic,  and  is  it  his  in- 
spiration, or  is  it  due  to  the  genius  of  the  medium  ?  suppose  the 
medium  youthful,  artless,  and  without  genius,  and  pouring  forth 
such  eloquent  thoughts  as  is  frequently,  or  at  least  sometimes, 
the  case,  then  whence  the  source,  and  what  the  philosophy,  if  it 
be  not,  as  invariably  avowed  from  present  immortals,  of  the  spirit 
world  ?  The  theory  of  a  diseased,  or  morbid,  or  abnormal  condi- 
tion of  the  brain,  will  not,  cannot,  explain  the  unknown  intelli- 
gence. 

Now  that  the  phenomena  of  spiritualism  are  true,  you  will  not, 
cannot  deny  ;  but  the  question  to  investigate  is,  Are  they  the  re- 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  253 

suit  of  supernal  spiritual  agency,  or  of  some  other  occult  philoso- 
phy ?  I  have  said  psychology  furnishes  a  rational  though  not 
satisfactory  explanation :  indeed,  spiritualism  is  psychology  ex- 
tended to  the  spirit  world:  and  I  now  assert  psychometry  to  be  a 
rational  theory  of  explanation  for  the  spiritual  phenomena :  but 
this,  like  the  other,  fails  in  practice  under  strict  test  conditions 
and  trials ;  can  psychometry  or  psychology  as  confined  to  flesh,  or 
can  any  degree  of  mental  excitation  independent  of  supernal 
spiritual  inspiration,  account  for  and  explain  how  Appollonius, 
when  discoursing  at  Ephesus,  suddenly  exclaimed,  '  Strike,  strike 
the  tyrant !  courage  my  friends,  for  at  this  very  moment  the  ty- 
rant is  slain  ':  and  subsequent  intelligence  proved  that  the  reign- 
ing tyrant  Domitian  was  assassinated  at  that  very  hour.  And 
how  the  preacher  among  the  Grampian  hills  of  Scotland,  when  in 
the  midst  of  his  prayer,  he  suddenly  stopped,  and  trembling  with 
peculiar  nervous  emotion  exclaimed:  'Rejoice  my  people,  we  are 
free:  Charles  Stuart  speaks  no  more;  his  tongue  hangs  out  and 
they  can  never  get  it  back  again'  —  became  impressed  with  this 
idea,  and  was  so  suddenly  and  unexpectedly  informed  of  this  fact, 
which  was  totally  unknown,  and  indeed  at  that  very  moment, 
hundreds  of  miles  distant,  and  precisely  as  he  was  impressed,  and 
expressed  it,  his  tongue  protruding  immediately  after  death,  and 
his  attendants  unsuccessfully  striving  to  replace  it.  Can  any 
conceived  or  conceivable  philosophy  explicate  these  cases,  other 
than  that  of  spiritual  influence,  as  avowed  by  the  authors  them- 
selves in  spirit  life  ?  In  this  case  just  referred  to,  there  can  be  no 
psychometric  picture  of  the  sensitive  brain  of  the  preacher,  for 
the  subject  of  the  picture  had  not  existed  until  now ;  nor  could 
human  psychology  have  operated,  for  the  fact  was  unknown  at 
the  time  outside  of  the  immediate  circle  who  witnessed  it ;  and  if 
mind  itself  is  capable  of  this  mighty  expansion,  why  does  it  not 
perceive  human  mortality  or  death  if  such  be  fact,  or  why,  if  this 
last  be  the  philosophy,  does  it  always  perceive  human  immorlalty, 
if  such  be  not  the  fact  ?  And  I  ask  this  question  of  all  these  and 
all  other  philosophies  and  theories  that  have  been,  or  may  be  put 
forth,  to  explain  these  spiritual  phenomena.  Why  is  it  that  they 
all  invariably  point  to  spiritual  philosophy,  or  reveal  spirit  life  and 
form,  human  immortality  as  superior,  if  not  ubiquitous,  intelli- 
gence ?  This  is  very  significant ;  we  know  not,  and  noliody  knows 
a  physical  element  or  combination  of  such  elements,  edcquate  to 


254  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

this  phenomena,  beyond  our  detection.  The  only  solution  is  men- 
tal or  spiritual;  and  whence,  and  who,  and  where  the  mind  or 
spirit,  if  it  be  not  our  excarnated  friends,  now  immortal  angels, 
in  contiguous  spheres  near  to  and  communicating  with  us  ?  Thus 
ye  men  of  science,  fully  unfold  this  mighty  philosophy  of  a  new 
element  in  human  nature,  a  potent  principle  for  no  good,  no  pur- 
pose to  the  Creator  or  the  creature,  unless  it  reaches  to  a  kindred 
spirit  land,  whose  love  attractions  draw  us  to  those  sweet  shores  of 
spirit  empire,  when  we  shall  drink  from  near  the  fountain,  and 
imbibe  the  vitalizing  azure  air  that  develop  angelic  intelligences, 
the  mighty  multitude  of  happy  life  that  God  is  gathering  around 
him,  as  a  father  gathers  his  children,  and  binds  their  brows  with 
garlands  of  beauty  and  love. 

Let  not  the  follies,  falsities  and  fatuities  of  charlatans^  for  they 
swarm  everywhere,  so  disgust  you  as  to  turn  you  from  the  tran- 
scendant  splendor  of  the  philosophy. 

Trace  those  'strings,  or  threads  of  distant  contact'  by  which 
the  blind  man  perceived  and  recognized  others,  of  which  Aber- 
crombie  speaks,  before  the  spiritual  philosophy  was  known;  or 
*the  fine  thread  of  light  which  moves  the  medium'  as  a  spirit 
lately  spoke;  and  see  if  they  don't  draw  you  to  those  spheres 
where  flows  the  ambrosial  nectar  of  the  gods.  0  my  co-evals  and 
co-equals  in  philanthropy,  philosophy  and  science!  you  whose 
aspirations  thrill  responsive  to  my  own !  I  ask  you,  urge  you,  to 
come  up  closer  to  this  warm  sun  of  the  soul  and  receive  new  life, 
and  relume  your  love  where  ruin  is  unknown,  and  warm  your 
hearts  so  chilled  by  the  cold  creeds  of  old  theology.  Come,  let  us 
worship  at  the  shrine  of  philosophy,  for  this  is  the  true  worship 
of  the  true  God.  Listen,  listen  to  this  new,  near  music  of  the 
circumambient  spheres. 

Hear  the  harmonies  that  thrill  those  near  concentric  realms  of 
pure  and  spotless  spirituality.  March  to  the  music  of  those  melo- 
dies that  roll  and  reverberate  anthemic  raptures  along  the  grand 
corridors  of  all  eternity.  Awake,  ye  who  shall  awake  while  the 
centuries  sleep!  You  shall  be  my  kindred  and  my  colleagues  and 
colaborators  in  this  glorious  path  of  progress  that  leads  us  to 
higher  life,  and  points  to  the  portals  of  immortal  love,  where 
ambrosial  dews  and  theobromal  streams  permeate  the  azure  ether 
and  fertilize  immortal  mind. 

Arouse  the  dormant  energies  of  your  universal  love,  and  shake 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  255 

off  the  apathy  of  ignorance  and  the  bigotry  of  blind  education 
that  invest  our  fellow-men  as  vestures  of  triple  steel. 

If  our  determined  will  has  the  power  to  control  nature,  why 
not  control  human  destiny,  for  what  is  destiny  but  nature  ? 
What  is  anything  or  everything,  known  and  unknown,  but  na- 
ture ?  Then  let  us  determine  by  a  pure,  resolute  and  honest  will, 
to  live  like  philosophers  and  die  like  gods,  or  the  sons  of  God  — 
die  but  to  put  on  immortal  mantles  and  claim  the  legitimate 
legacy  of  our  Father. 

Let  us  spurn  the  success  of  the  ignorant  but  self-wise  scoffer, 
pity  the  poor  pulings  of  the  soulless  slave  to  gross  matter;  rise 
in  the  true  majesty  of  developed  men;  vindicate  the  true  mag- 
nificence of  our  destiny;  assert  the  divinity  within  us;  exalt  our 
love;  expand  our  thoughts;  unfurl  the  latent  pinions  of  our 
immortal  being  and  soar  amid  the  radiant  realms  of  a  spiritual 
universe  for  those  splendid  pavilions  encircling  the  sky  of  science 
and  the  shrine  of  philosophy!" 

"  This  earth  of  ours  is  a  mighty  organ, 
Of  strings  without  end,  keys  numberless. 
And  notes  innumerable  ;  some  resound. 
Deep-toned  and  grand,  Uke  ocean  in  the  stonn. 
And  thunder  on  its  chariot  of  cloud  ; 
Others  sing  silence  as  their  sweetest  strain, 
To  melodize  the  car  of  intellect ; 
But  all  the  million  tongues  of  this  organ 
Grand,  peel  out  the  mind  of  God  omnific, 
And  nature's  vast,  omniferous  design. 
To  peox^le  the  spheres  with  immortal  man, — 
The  typic  cross,  the  crescent,  and  the  scroll. 
Symbols  of  faith,  of  passion  and  of  soul  ; 
Unfurl  the  lettered  scroll  I    Angel  emblem 
Of  the  grand  spiritual  philosophy  ; 
Unrolling  life  around  the  starry  spheres. 
Unfolding  angels  of  immortal  love. 
And  op'uing  the  destinies  of  heaven." 

To-day  a  dispute  arose  regarding  Sunday,  or  the  Sabbath. 
One  declares  Saturday  to  be  the  day  ordained  and  proclaimed  by 
the  Lord  himself  as  the  day  to  be  kept  holy,  (as  if  all  days  should 
not  be  so  kept)  she  knows  it  to  be  so,  for  the  Biih  says  so  —  and 
did  not  the  Lord,  who  created  the  earth,  rest  from  his  labors  on 
that  day  ? 


256  THE   tnsrSEALED   BOOK. 

What  said  our  Lord  and  Master  regarding  tlie  Sabbatli  ? 

"  Now  there  is  at  Jerusalem  by  the  sheep  market  a  pool,  which 
is  called  in  the  Hebrew  tongue  Bethesda,  having  five  porches.  In 
these  lay  a  great  multitude  of  impotent  folk,  of  blind,  halt,  with- 
ered, waiting  for  the  moving  of  the  water. 

For  an  angel  went  down  at  a  certain  season  into  the  pool,  and 
troubled  the  water ;  whosoever  then  first  after  the  troubling  of 
the  water  stepped  in,  was  made  whole  of  whatsoever  disease  he 
had. 

And  a  certain  man  was  there,  which  had  an  infirmity  thirty  and 
eight  years.  When  Jesus  saw  him  lie,  and  knew  that  he  had  been 
now  a  long  time  in  that  case,  he  saith  unto  him.  Wilt  thou  be 
made  whole  ? 

The  impotent  man  answered  him,  Sir,  I  have  no  man,  when  the 
water  is  troubled,  to  put  me  into  the  jjool ;  but  while  I  am  com- 
ing, another  steppeth  down  before  me. 

Jesus  saith  unto  him.  Else,  take  up  thy  bed,  and  walk.  And 
immediately  the  man  was  made  whole,  and  took  up  his  bed,  and 
walked :  and  on  the  same  day  was  the  Sabbath. 

The  Jews  therefore  said  unto  him  that  was  cured,  It  is  the 
Sabbatli  day ;  it  is  not  lawful  for  thee  to  carry  thy  bed.  He  an- 
swered them,  He  that  made  me  whole,  the  same  said  unto  me, 
Take  up  thy  bed,  and  walk. 

And  therefore  did  the  Jews  persecute  Jesus,  and  sought  to  slay 
him,  because  he  had  done  these  things  on  the  Sabbath  day.  But 
Jesus  answered  them.  My  Father  worketh  hitherto,  and  I  work." 

Again :  — 

''There  was  a  man  which  had  his  hand  withered.  And  they 
asked  him,  saying.  Is  it  lawful  to  heal  on  the  Sabbath  days  ?  that 
they  might  accuse  him.    And  he  said  unto  them, 

What  man  shall  there  be  among  you,  that  shall  have  one  sheep, 
and  it  fall  into  a  pit  on  the  Sabbath  day,  will  he  not  lay  hold  on 
it  and  lift  it  out  ?  How  much  then  is  a  man  better  than  a  sheep  ? 
Wherefore  it  is  lawful  to  do  well  on  the  Sabbath  days." 

"  And  it  came  to  pass  on  the  second  Sabbath  after  the  first,  that 
he  went  through  the  corn  fields ;  and  his  disciples  plucked  the 
ears  of  corn,  and  did  eat,  rubbing  them  in  their  hands.    And  cer- 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  257 

tain  of  the  Pharisees  said  unto  them,  Why  do  ye  that  which  is 
not  lawful  to  do  on  the  Sabbath  days  ? 

And  Jesus  answering  them  said,  Have  ye  not  read  so  much  as 
this,  what  David  did,  when  himself  was  an  hungered,  and  they 
which  were  with  him  ; 

How  he  went  into  the  house  of  God,  and  did  take  and  eat  the 
shewbread,  and  gave  also  to  them  that  were  with  him ;  which  it 
is  not  lawful  to  eat  but  for  the  priests  alone  ? 

And  he  said  unto  them,  The  Sabbath  was  made  for  man,  and 
not  man  for  the  Sabbath ;  therefore  the  Son  of  Man  is  Lord  also 
of  the  Sabbath." 

"  And  it  came  to  pass  also  on  another  Sabbath,  that  he  entered 
into  the  synagogue;  and  there  was  a  certain  man  whose  right 
hand  was  withered.  And  the  scribes  and  Pharisees  watched  him, 
whether  he  would  heal  on  the  Sabbath  day;  that  they  might  find 
an  accusation  against  him. 

But  he  knew  their  thoughts,  and  said  to  the  man  which  had 
the  withered  hand.  Rise  up,  and  stand  forth.  Then  said  Jesus 
unto  them,  I  will  ask  you  one  thing  ; 

Is  it  lawful  on  the  Sabbath  days  to  do  good,  or  to  do  evil  ?  to 
save  life  or  destroy  it  ?  And  looking  round  about  upon  them  all, 
he  said  unto  the  man,  Stretch  forth  thy  hand.  And  he  did  so ;  and 
his  hand  was  restored  whole  as  the  other. 

And  they  were  filled  with  madness,  and  communed  with  one 
another  what  they  might  do  to  Jesus." 

*'  But  a  few  years  ago  it  was  not  lawful  for  a  man  to  kiss  his 
wife  on  Sunday,  called  Sunday  because  the  Sabians  worshipped 
the  sun  on  that  day ;  and  even  now  all  the  American  States,  ex- 
cept Texas,  and  perhaps  California,  regard  an  innocent  recrea- 
tion on  Sunday  as  a  shocking  sin,  and  cause  every  man  by  their 

statutes  to  *  keep  '  and  observe  this  day,  Sunday,  according  to 

what?  his  own  conscience ?  No;  to  the  dictation  of  the  domi- 
nant priestliood.  And  yet  these  very  priests  differ  as  to  the  true 
day  of  their  Sabbath. 

But  all  this  despotic  dysnomy  of  superstition  will  be  swept  fromi 
our  statute  books,  by  the  march  of  mind  to  that  true  liberty 
which  will  enable  us  to  spend  Sunday  and  any  other  day  just  as- 
we  please,  provided  with  the  one  simple  condition,  that  we  inter- 
fere not  with  others  in  doing  just  as  they  please,  —  all  conscience' 
unfettered  from  other's  dogmatic  dictum." 


258  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

I  saw  but  yesternight, 

A  baby  dear  and  sweet, 
Her  little  face  was  round  and  very  fair. 

Her  chubby  hands  and  feet — 

Her  merry  eyes  so  bright  I 
O  she  was  mamma's  joy  as  well  as  care  I 

Her  father's  darling  too, 

As  one  could  plainly  see  : 
Their  first  and  only — may  she  long  be  spared 

Their  hearts  and  home  to  cheer, 

And  may  they  wisely  rear 
This  lamb  so  sweet — this  cherished,  tender  bud. 

Two  months  ago  she  came, 

And  "  Precious  "  is  her  name  — 
Her  baby  name  —by  which  she  now  is  called  : 

Appropriate  it  seems. 

For  they  the  darling  deem 
More  precious  far  than  wealth  of  finest  gold. 

Two  other  names  has  she. 

Of  native  states  are  they  ; 
One  her  father's,  one  her  mother's  early  home : 

The  first  is  Georgia, 

Next  sweet  Virginia  *. 
O  may  she  traverse  both  in  times  to  come. 

The  cherub  has  not  known 

As  yet,  an  ache  or  pain, 
O  may  her  parents,  kind  and  true,  be  wise  — 

The  laws  of  nature  teach, 

Then  far  above  the  reach 
Of  mortal  ills,  and  human  woes  she'll  rise, — 

Be  fitted  here  below. 

The  joys  of  heaven  to  know  — 
To  know  that  life 's  immortal  and  divine  — 

That  love  alone,  can  gild 

The  bright  celestial  shield, 
Which  makes  our  earthly  home — a  sacred  shrine. 

''  The  science  of  physiology  which  is  the  soil  of  the  soul,  and 
the  science  of  life,  is  gradually  unfolding  the  philosophy  of  our 
physical,  and  I  may  add  spiritual  nature,  for  upon  it  are  founded 
and  out  of  it  spring  the  perfections  of  both  our  physical  and 
spiritual  characters. 

We  can  improve  and  beautify  our  species  —  it  is,  to  a  very 
considerable  extent,  within  the  power  of  parents,  especially  the 


THE    UNSEALED    BOOK.  259 

motlior.  th.ma-li  the  (hiufrhtGrs  generally  inherit  the  mental 
constitution  of  the  father,  and  the  sons  that  of  the  mother,  yet  they 
in  turn  transmit  the  same,  subject  to  the  same  controlling 
influences  —  by  assiduous  effort  and  proper  training  of  passion, 
feeling,  emotion,  and  objects  of  sight,  thought,  employment,  asso- 
ciation to  mold  the  offsi)ring  in  the  character  of  mind  and  body 
desired.  And  it  is  owing  to  this  fact  that  so  many  distinguished 
men  have  uncommon  names,  inheriting  the  vigorous  originality  of 
tlieir  mothers,  who  would  not  be  bound  by  tlie  old  nomenclature  of 
John,  Jim,  or  Joe.  The  mother  of  the  great  Italian,  Dante,  before 
he  was  born,  had  a  splendid  vision  of  supernal  spheres  with  fairies 
flitting  before  her  fancy,  which  made  a  powerful  and  permanent 
impression  on  her  mind.  Dante  was  born  a  brilliant  poet.  Kapo- 
leon's  mother  was  very  fond  of  riding  with  her  husband  witnessing 
the  review  and  marshalling  of  troops,  and  expressed  great  anxiety  to 
witness  a  battle ;  and  his  first  view  of  this  life  was  on  a  portable 
couch,  ornamented  with  the  heroes  of  the  Iliad,  his  mother  being 
borne  on  it  from  the  church  whence  she  was  thus  suddenly  called. 
Napoleon  was  born  a  great  captain.  '  A  word  to  the  wise  is  suf- 
ficient,' and  if  you  are  not  thus  wise,  it  is  your  imperative  duty 
at  once  to  set  about  the  study  of  human  physiology :  for  it  is  the 
study  of  our  lives.  I  have  read  of  the  death  of  an  infant  being 
caused  by  the  lacteal  poison  imbibed  from  its  mother,  who  had 
been  the  victim  of  a  violent  passion  of  anger.  Eead  the  story  of 
Jacob  and  his  spotted  cattle  —  which  illustrates  the  great  and 
primary  truth;  he  was  well  knowing  of  the  fact,  but  ignorant  of 
its  philosophy  —  just  as  the  prophets  and  apostles  were  cognizant 
of  the  facts  of  spiritual  influx  and  visions,  but  knew  nothing  of 
their  significance  and  philosophy. 

Woman  wields  the  world  and  molds  the  character  of  mankind ; 
in  her  keeping  are  the  destinies  of  the  human  famil}^  Said  the 
first  Napoleon,  '  Tell  me  the  character  of  your  women,  and  I  'll 
know  your  men.' 

As  judicious  energy  is  the  crown  of  character  in  man,  so  chaste 
meekness  is  the  crown  of  character  in  woman  —  I  mean  true  wo- 
man, not  the  worthless  pet  and  inert  toy  of  indolence,  or  the  im- 
perious queen,  who  looks  upon  man  as  made  for  licr  special  slave, 
bedecked  with  silks  and  flaming  feathers,  or  fine  furniture  and 
gorgeous  drawing-rooms,  '  a  pig  in  the  parlor  and  a  peacock  on 
the  promenade,'  as  Cabet  used  to  call  'em,  who  cannot  string  to- 


260  THE    UNSEALED   BOOK. 

gether  correctly  a  dozen  words  of  her  own  vernacular  (and  there 
is  no  accomplishment,  especially  for  a  lady,  equal  to  chaste,  cor- 
rect, and  beautiful  language),  with  no  refinement  or  personal  fem- 
inine fascination.  0,  ignorance  with  aristocracy,  pretension  with 
vulgarity,  and  wealth  with  wickedness,  stinginess,  meanness,  and 
selfishness,  are  so  ineffably,  and  unutterably,  and  intolerably  dis- 
gusting. And,  of  course,  such  are  ignorant  of  their  ignorance, 
and  this  ignorance  is  bliss  :  '  Where  ignorance  is  bliss,  't  is  folly 
to  be  wise.' 

Nature  and  its  philosophy  stamps  man  —  that  is,  true  man  of 
action,  energy,  honesty  and  truth  —  as  the  Lord  ;  and  the  woman 
who  does  not  thus  view  him,  and  comprehend  her  proper  relation, 
is  ignorant  of  her  highest  excellence,  and  a  stranger  to  her  true  and 
great  power.  [With  all  due  regard  to  our  contemporary,  we  ac- 
knowledge a  difference  of  opinion.]  As  an  illustrious  example  of 
her  potency  in  this  respect,  when  the  expatriated  Coriolanus,  at 
the  head  of  the  Volsci,  marched  upon  his  native  city,  and  lighted 
the  circumjacent  hills  of  Eome  with  the  camp-fires  of  her  numer- 
ous and  relentless  enemy,  threatening  immediate  destruction,  dep- 
utations of  her  most  illustrious  citizens,  committees  of  the  Sen- 
ate, priests  of  religion,  old  and  gray-headed  men,  all  were  in  turn 
sent  out  to  him,  soliciting  and  imploring  his  leniency  and  mercy, 
but  to  no  avail;  the  injured  and  vindictive  heart  of  Coriolanus 
was  inexorable,  and  the  devoted  city  seemed  doomed  to  expiate  her 
injustice  to  him,  and  gratify  his  full  revenge.  Finally,  as  a  last, 
forlorn,  and  apparently  hopeless  resort,  his  mother  and  wife,  Vetu- 
ria  and  Virgilia,  were  sent  to  him,  and  falling  on  their  knees, 
begged  his  pardon  and  protection.  '  0,  my  son  ! '  cried  his  mother, 
'  do  I  embrace  my  son  or  my  enemy  ?  Am  I  your  mother  or  your 
captive  ?  How  have  I  lived  to  see  this  day,  —  to  see  my  son  a 
banished  man,  and,  still  more  agonizing,  to  see  him  the  enemy 
of  his  country,  devoting  to  destruction  the  city  that  gave  him 
birth  ?  Had  I  never  been  born,  Eome  would  still  be  free ! '  The 
stern  heart  of  the  warrior,  that  had  withstood,  unmoved,  so  many 
scenes,  supplications,  and  appeals,  melted  before  these  tears  of 
woman's  meekness,  and  relented  of  all  its  vindictiveness.  The 
great  army  of  the  Volsci,  he  immediately  marched  away ;  but  the 
event  fulfilled  the  sad  prediction  which  he  addressed  to  his  mother 
in  reply,  a  prediction  which  only  a  Komau  mother  could  hear, 
'  0,  my  mother,  thou  hast  saved  Eome,  but  lost  thy  son ! '    He 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  261 

was  soon  murdered  by  the  enraged  Volsci.  In  honor  of  Veturia's 
merit,  the  Eomans  dedicated  a  temple  to  Female  Fortune. 

The  torrent  of  the  storm,  the  mountain  avalanche,  hath  no 
such  power  as  the  streaming  tears  of  woman's  meekness,  to  melt 
the  heart  of  man.  When  the  noble  Cornelia  was  called  upon  by 
a  vain  lady,  who  had  been  exhibiting  her  meritricious  ornaments, 
to  show  hers,  she  presented  her  children,  exclaiming,  '  these  are 
my  jewels.'  Yours,  ladies,  is  a  high  and  holy  charge.  In  your 
sacred  keeping  is  the  character  of  men.  I  would  urge  you,  as  a 
sacred  duty,  to  study  well  human  physiology,  our  anthroposophy 
and  anthroi")ology,  it  is  that  science  of  that  immortal  life  which 
is  in  your  hands.  "We  are  ignorant  of  the  immense  misery  and 
misforfune  entailed  upon  our  children  by  this  very  ignorance." 

I  will  here  insert  for  the  benefit  of  the  "Masonic  Fraternity,'* 
a  communication  dictated  by  a  brother  mason  in  spirit  life,  in  re- 
ply to  a  letter  of  inquiry  in  regard  to  the  advancement  of  "  Capit- 
ular Masonr}',"  etc.:  after  which,  and  in  connection  with,  is  a 
communication  given  through  my  own  powers  ;  this  I  had  not 
thought  to  insert  here,  but  as  it  is  the  first  personal  communica- 
tion (consciously  written)  vouchsafed  through  me,  I  trust  it  will 
not  be  considered  amiss  to  thus  preserve  it.  I  will  also  state  that 
the  following,  was  the  first  conscious  impressment  of  this  medium, 
also  a  brother  mason. 

"Comp. In  answer  to  your  request  to  furnish  a  'full 

account  of  the  workings  of  our  chapter,'  I  would  be  pleased  to  say, 
our  workings  have  been  somewhat  various :  at  times  we  were  dis- 
posed to  proceed  with  what  we  had  before  us :  again,  it  seemed 
irksome  and  troublesome  to  go  on. 

The  Chapter  has  been  in  a  languid  state  for  want  of  unanimity 
to  proceed  with  its  higli  destiny;  a  strict  adherence  to  the  prin- 
ciples of  masonry  as  inculcated  by  its  teachings,  would  obviate  all 
difficulties,  and  make  Masonry  prosperous  and  secure  in  the  hearts 
of  the  fraternity. 

A  reasonable  allowance  might  be  made  for  want  of  unity,  but 
then  there  should  be  a  careful  watchfulness  over  the  morals  and 
obligations  of  its  members,  in  order  to  make  it  a  success,  both  as 
to  this  world  and  the  world  to  come. 

Should  its  teachings  be  strictly  observed,  would  it  not  be  a  glo- 


262  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

rious  institution  ?  But  alas !  how  many  fall  by  the  wayside,  and 
none  to  pick  them  up,  none  to  regret  their  falling.  Those  who  have 
obtained  an  eai^thly  mansion,  too  often  forget,  or  cannot  see,  their 
obligated  brother  in  distress,  much  less  give  him  a  welcome  hand, 
to  aid  him  through  the  toils  and  troubles  of  this  life. 

Greediness  and  want  of  sympathy  stifle  out  the  latent  spark 
of  liberality  and  quench  the  spirit  of  benevolence.  It  is  a  burn- 
ing shame  that  the  want  of  charity  blunts  the  true  undei'standing 
of  Masonry  among  some  masons,  while  the  red-hot  cinders  of 
perdition  and  anathemas  are  copiously  thrown  upon  their  head, 
all  to  make  an  excuse  for  the  lack  of  that  charity  which  they 
refuse  to  an  unfortunate  brother. 

How  long  will  these  things  last  ?  when  will  the  joyful  sound 
be  heard  —  Go,  brother  and  do  your  duty  to  your  fellow  com- 
panion—  with  the  joyful  response,  I  will?  When  will  the 
brother  mason  learn  his  duty  to  his  equally  obligated  brother  and 
do  it  accordingly,  without  restraint  from  the  wilful  bad  examples 
around  him  ?  When  will  he  come  forward  and  act  conscien- 
tiously, enforcing  his  principles  by  precept,  and  spread  the  glorious 
principles  of  Masonry  with  unselfishness,  and  stifle  out  the  mis- 
erable pandering  to  selfishness  and  money-making  at  the  expense 
of  the  true  principles  of  Masonry  ? 

These  are  the  questions  to  be  considered  in  writing-up  a  super- 
ficial history  of  Masonry  with  its  objects  considered,  by  which, 
according  to  your  letter,  '  Capitular  Masonry  maxj  he  advanced,^ 
with  '  s^ich  suggestions  as  I  may  deem  advisable! 

My  dear  companion,  I  fear  you  are  engaged  in  a  fearful  work 
if  you  expect  to  show  that  the  work  is  true  and  acceptable  to  the 
*  Master  Overseer'  above.  Consider!  consider  well  what  you 
undertake,  and  be  certain  that  your  foundations  are  solid  and 
that  the  material  is  good  and  pure  before  you  start  —  for  I  tell 
you  if  you  reject  all  that  is  worthless,  you  will  have  but  little  left 
to  build  your  Temple  with. 

One  M.  E.  G.  High  Priest  has  left  us  and  gone  to  the  spirit 
land.  In  him  we  had  a  good  and  charitable  officer — his  memory 
is  strongly  embalmed  in  the'hearts  of  the  brotherhood.  Had  this 
correspondence  fallen  to  his  lot  while  liere,  it  probably  would 
have  been  executed  more  pleasantly  to  the  craft.  But  although 
he  is  absent  in  the  flesh,  I  feel  his  presence  in  the  discharge  of 
this  duty  through  his  spiritual  mediumship,  and  hope  you  will 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  263 

pardon  me  when  I  say,  Had  it  not  been  for  his  spiritual  influence 
you  would  not  have  received  this  communication. 

The  following  marked  composition  through  the  mediumistic 

powers  of  Miss  B ,  from  Companion  D ,  addressed  to 

myself,  explains  itself  and  shows  an  intimate  connection  to  what 
I  have  written  under  the  same  influence. 

Ponder  and  reflect  over  both,  and  make  your  own  conclusions 
in  the  true  spirit  —  remembering  that  you  and  all  of  us  sooner  or 
later  will  meet  our  departed  companions  face  to  face  in  the  spirit 
land,  in  sight  of  the  Lodge  not  made  with  hands  eternal  in  the 
Heavens.  Yours  affectionately, 


Acting  M.  E.  H.  P. 


My  dear  brother  F ,  I  cannot  give  here 

The  "  workings  of  your  chapter,"  as  well  as 

Ye  who  do  still  inhabit  the  earth  sphere  : 

But  I  wish  to  say — I  come  at  your  call, 

And  am  often  with  you.     I  have  many 

Times  tried  to  make  you  feel  my  presence  near. 

The  task  I  fear  was  vain,  until  at  last 

Through  your  friend's  control,  your  attention  kind 

I  was  helped  to  gain.     This  eased  my  burden'd  soul, 

For  I  knew  if  once  the  door  was  unbarred, 

And  my  brethren  fraternal  did  see  the 

Pure  satisfaction  the  so-called  dead  derive 

From  communion  with  friends  below,  one  point, 

At  least,  was  gained  :  and  here  I  would  say  to 

One  and  all  —  'T  is  a  truth  eternal.     An 

Established  law  beyond  the  frail  power  of 

Human  control  doth  govern  the  same  ;  this 

Much  I  do  know — and  hope  soon  to  learn  more. 

There  's  much  with  which  we  do  have  to  contend. 

In  coming  back  here  and  giving  the  truth  : 

But  here  let  me  tell  you,  as  brother  and 


264  THE    UNSEALED   BOOK. 

Friend,  we  all  must  atone  for  the  sins  of 
Youth,  be  they  ever  so  many,  or  few. 
You  would  like  to  know  how  I  'm  getting  on : 
I  will  tell  you  true,  for  in  the  future, 
I  hope  to  become  a  trustworthy  man  ; 
I  should  quite  well  get  along  but  for  this, 
The  imposture  my  life  sanctioned  below  ; 
I  was  not,  as  you  know,  wholly  to  blame  : 
For,  though  I  am  far  less  good  than  I  seem, 
Yet  I  seem  not  so  good  as  I  am ;  now 
This  may  puzzle  you  sore,  but  it 's  the  truth, 
I  ween  :  accept  thou,  then,  in  love,  the  same. 

I  am  here,  unable  to  devise  means 
By  which  "  Capitular  Masonry  "  may 
Be  advanced,  so  far  as  regards /brms,  the 
One  thing  needful  is,  more  charity  toward 
Your  fellow  men.     Our  brotherhood  would  then 
Unite  to  bless  our  holy  Order,  nor 
That  alone,  for  all  are  "Brothers"  here, 
Who  do  profess  and  live  the  truth.     When  all 
Is  said  and  done,  the  sum  of  it  is  this ; 
To  love  our  neighbor  as  ourself.     And  now, 
A  favor  I  would  ask  of  thee,  brother. 
Which  is,  that  you  will  kindly  try  to  show, 
Explain,  the  truths  which  I  have  given  you  : 
Others  I  trust,  will  then  investigate, 
And  learn,  in  time,  how  to  control  the  power 
Of  this  magnetic  bond  between  the  spheres  ; 
This  bond  is  to  the  earth  and  heaven  a  dower 
Which  lay  buried  deep  for  scores  of  years, 
To  nearly  all,  and  then  revived  again. 
I  am  told,  that  the  light  of  the  same  can 
Never  more  grow  dim  ;  but  will  brightly  shine 
To  illumine  the  pathway,  pure,  sublime. 
That 's  trodden  by  mortals,  and  angels  divine, 
Who  lovingly  come  to  visit  your  homes. 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  265 

I  fear,  brother  F ,  you'll  not  comprehend 

How  it  is,  that  you  do  receive  in  verse, 

The  sentiments  of  your  still-living  friend. 

Who  could  not  compile  a  line  of  the  same. 

This  much  will  1  say,  it  is  by  the  aid 

Of  the  medium's  guide,  who  doth  control ; 

I  cannot  explain  to  you  fully,  now, 

But  I  wish  you  well :  the  Fraternity  too  ; 

May  they  keep  in  view  high  Heaven's  decree. 


Kind  spirit  friends.  Our  letters  have,  of  late,  been  few  and  far 
between  —  those,  at  least,  in  which  you  are  more  particularly  in- 
terested ;  but  I  have  at  the  present  time  three,  whose  "  fragrance 
smells  to  heaven,"  which  I  would  ask  you  to  peruse  with  me  ;  and 
if  so  be  that  ye  have  ought  to  give  in  reply,  I  subject  myself  to 
your  further  control. 

"  I  felt  a  great  desire  to  see  the  work  as  soon  as  I  heard  of  its 
publication.  I  found  in  it  many  things,  that,  as  you  say,  I  should 
have  to  dissent  from,  but  I  will  not  attempt  to  criticize  the  book, 
not  feeling  myself  to  be  a  competent  judge ;  still  I  will  express 
most  sincere  admiration,  for  the  independence  of  character  which 
you  must  possess,  to  enable  you  so  to  brave  public  opinion,  as  not 
only  to  write  a  book,  but  to  express  in  it  your  honest  convictions, 
though  you  knew  they  Avould  meet  with  the  disapproval  of  most 
of  your  readers.  I  wish  there  was  more  of  that  kind  of  courage 
among  us ;  then  we  should  not  have  to  wait  so  long  for  the  devel- 
opment of  every  new  idea  under  the  sun,  as  we  now  have  to." 

The  writer  of  the  above  is  no  stranger  unto  us.  We  have 
watched,  for  years,  her  firm,  unerring  course,  unerring,  so  far  as 
her  innate  convictions  of  truth  and  right  Averc  established.  Her 
honest  and  candid  avowment  of  her  incompetency  to  judge  a 
work  of  this  character,  is  precisely  what  we  should  expect  from 
one  whose  life  and  deeds  give  evidence  that  the  indwelling  spirit, 
which  is  the  soul  of  honor,  has  been  baptized  into  the  celestial 
kingdom  of  charity  and  good-will  towards  the  whole  human  family. 
We  are  not  surprised  that  from  many  things  which  were  given  in 


266  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

that  work  she  should  at  present  dissent,  or,  more  correctly  speak- 
ing, should  fail  to  embrace  the  spiritual  teachings  here  set  forth. 
There  are  two  apparent  reasons  for  this :  First,  her  mind  has 
never  been  directed  or  led  into  this  particular  channel  of  obser- 
vation or  reflection.  Secondly,  the  simple  and  childlike  lessons 
contained  therein,  are  not  of  a  character  to  reach  her  superior  and 
highly  cultured  mind,  possessing  a  wealth  of  original  and  pro- 
gressive ideas  and  thoughts.  Were  we  to  anticipate,  we  might  say 
that  the  present  work  is  much  better  adapted  to  the  edification 
of  this  class  of  minds. 

The  sincere  admiration  expressed  for  the  independence  of  char- 
acter exhibited,  is  but  the  reflection  of  her  own  inherent  nature 
and  true  nobility  of  soul,  which  soars  above  the  whims  and  ca- 
prices of  a  prejudiced  public  opinion,  and  which  is  unfettered  by 
adherence  to  worthless  creeds  and  dogmas. 

We  bespeak  for  her,  not  only  a  warm  interest  in  this  beautiful 
philosophy,  but  trust  ere  long  she  will  also  be  a  co-laborer  in  this 
wide  field  for  literary  genius,  giving  forth  fi-om  her  diamond  mind, 
rich  "  gems  of  purest  ray  serene,"  which  shall  brighten  many  a 
household,  and  point  the  hearts  of  humanity  to  the  fields  of  im- 
mortal light  and  love  on  the  fadeless  shores  of  eternity. 

"We  reject  many  truths  when  first  presented,  which  afterwards, 
upon  investigation,  command  our  credence.  For  example,  it 
seems  anomalous  and  incredible  to  assert  that  more  men  die  in  a 
healthy  country,  than  in  a  sickly  one  ;  but  such  is  a  demonstrable 
truth,  which  will  command  not  only  our  credence,  but  absolute 
knowledge,  when  we  investigate  it  by  the  light  of  science,  and 
submit  it  to  that  great  gift  of  the  Creator,  common  sense  or  rea- 
son. A  thousand  people  placed  in  a  sickly  country,  would,  in  a 
hundred  years,  increase  but  little,  perhaps  decrease  ;  but  the  same 
number  placed  in  a  healthy  country,  would  multiply  rapidly,  and 
in  a  few  generations,  the  deaths  from  this  dense  population,  would, 
of  course,  greatly  outnumber  the  deaths  from  the  comparatively 
sparse  population  of  the  unhealthy  region,  for  men  must  necessa- 
rily die  everywhere,  from  decrepitude  or  by  disease.  Thus  it  is 
demonstrable  that  in  the  course  of  a  century  or  of  several  genera- 
tions, a  greater  number  of  people  die  in  a  salubrious,  than  in  an 
insalubrious  country,  however,  at  first  thought,  we  may  have  re- 
jected the  truth,  as  absurd  and  impossible.  And  it  appears  false 
to  say  that  there  is  water  in  dry,  inflammable  gunpowder,  and  that 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  267 

mucli  the  largest  portion  of  the  human  body  is  water  instead  of 
solid  matter;  but  which  are  facts  proved  by  science. 

Now,  as  applied  to  this  new  philosophy  of  life,  I  cannot  aver 
that  1  know  it  to  be  true ;  but  the  numbers  and  reputable  char- 
acter of  the  testimony,  and  the  amount  and  the  scientific  nature 
of  the  evidence  in  its  support,  to  say  nothing  of  my  intuition  of 
its  goodness,  its  grandeur,  and  its  glory,  are  vastly  superior  to  that 
supporting  any  other  religion,  or  philosophy  of  life,  or  system  of 
ethics,  and  irresistably  compels  me  to  believe  it,  and  embrace  it, 
and  throw  the  anchor  of  my  hope  within  the  storied  temple  of  its 
splendid  pavilions. 

Hence,  from  these  conclusions,  let  us  learn  first,  last,  and  all  the 
time,  not  to  reject  or  accept  anything  without  patient  and  thor- 
ough investigation.  This  is  specially,  and  particularly,  and  em- 
phatically, applicable  to  the  great  and  momentous  subject  of  our 
duty  and  destiny,  which  is  our  religion." 

Our  next  extract  is  from  the  pen  of  one  who,  four  months  ago, 
was  a  skeptic  and  an  unbeliever ;  but  who  now,  as  you  will  infer 
from  the  correspondence,  is  not  only  a  firm  believer,  but  a  co- 
worker with  us  in  this  great  reformatory  movement. 

"  Now  for  the  all-absorbing  question,  —  Spiritualism :  A  lady 
visitor  at  our  house,  gives  a  flowing  account  of  the  'spirits'  and 

their  doings,  at  S .    It  seems  to  be  a  voluntary  production 

there,  comes  naturally,  without  any  cultivation,  and  the  crop 
seems  to  be  various ;  the  poor  spirits  telling,  in  some  instances, 
awful  tales  on  the  good  citizens,  which  did  not  go  down  well  with 
some,  horrified  others,  and  others,  again,  got  venomous.  They 
go  by  turns  —  different  houses  on  different  nights,  and  the  ball 
keeps  gathering  as  it  rolls  —  skeptics  dumb-founded  and  obliged 
to  give  it  up,  and  the  population  falling  into  the  belief  generally, 
as  to  the  truth  of  invisible  powers  of  intelligence,  etc.  But  the 
whole  thing  is  a  sort  of  catched-up,  agreeable  sort  of  development, 
not  regulated  by  any  advancement  beyond  the  rapping  of  the 
table  and  the  quality  or  quantity  present.  A  good,  lively  thing 
they  make  of  it,  according  to  what  my  lady  friend  reports. 

We  are  doing  the  best  we  can,  considering  that  everything  has 
succumbed  to  the  development  of  the  trance  and  slate,  —  no 
friendly  table-tipping,  no  impressional  writing,  no  good,  nice, 
agreeable  talks  to  the  poor  spirits  beyond.     All  gone,  gone,  to 


268  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

give  the  trance  and  slate  developmentary  project,  a  chance  to 
break  through  the  shell,  a  full-feathered  realization,  or  nude,  I  do 
not  know  which  ;  at  any  rate,  we  are  flat  for  the  want  of  some- 
thing to  do,  whereby  we  can  gather  in  the  harvest  of  spiritual 
seekers  ready  to  be  shocked,  threshed,  and  the  chaff  separated 
from  the  grain,  and  bagged  for  the  Centennial  or  Millennium,  as 
you  may  be  pleased  to  term  it;  the  first  being  dedicated  to  the 
sjoirit  of  liberty,  and  the  latter  to  the  liberty  of  spirit." 

From  the  same  a  few  days  latter. 

"  We  have  several  new  friends,  —  spiritual,  —  who  communicate 
to  us  good  and  welcome  intelligence.  The  trance  no  go  —  the 
slate  yet  on  hand,  progressing  I  think.  Some  three  new  friends, 
mechanical  writers  all,  for  my  benefit  on  hand  at  times,  looks  like 
a  determined  movement  to  make  something  out  of  me,  and  for 
some  great  purpose,  (they  say).  Seems  like  I  was  cut  out  to  do 
work,  even  if  I  am  spoiled  in  the  make-up.  I  did  charge  them, 
indirectly,  of  trying  to  feed  my  vanity,  but  they  said  No,  so  I  am 
going  along  with  a  pencil  on  tip-toe,  making  flourishes,  and  hiero- 
glyphics, and  straight  lines  of  wavy  crooks,  in  abundance.     We 

still  live  in  hopes,  at  some  future  time,  to  get  up  trance.     If  J 

succeeds  on  the  slate,  and  I  in  the  mechanical  writing,  we  may 
then  be  able  to  get  help.  I  desire  no  humbug  or  juggling,  but 
stricth  lionest  worJc." 

We  have  indeed  somewhat  to  say  concerning  these  things,  yea, 
much  that  we  would  be  glad  to  say,  but  time  and  space  are  lim- 
ited, therefore  must  our  words  be  few.  The  account  given  by  your 
friend, —  our  mutual  friend  we  might  say,  for  he  is  ours  as  well  — 
of  the  spontaneous  workings  of  the  spirit,  is  but  one  instance  of 
thousands  which  are  now  daily  occuring  upon  the  mundane 
sphere.  The  ancient  prophecies  are  being  literally  fulfilled  :  the 
Lord  is  pouring  out  his  spirit  upon  all  flesh.  The  seed  shall 
spring  up  as  the  grass,  and  as  willows  by  the  water-courses ;  and 
one  shall  say,  It  is  the  work  of  the  Lord  :  another,  'T  is  Satan  let 
loose. 

Woe  unto  them  that  seek  deep  to  hide  their  counsel  from  the 
Lord,  and  their  works  are  in  the  dark,  and  they  say.  Who  seeth 
us  ?  and  who  knoweth  us  ?  Surely  your  turning  of  things  upside- 
down,  shall  be  esteemed  as  the  potter's  clay :  for  shall  the  work 
Bay  of  him  that  made  it,  He  made  it  not  ?  or  shall  the   thing 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  269 

framed,  say  of  liim  that  framed  it,  He  had  no  understanding  ?  It 
is  yet  but  a  very  little  while,  and  Lebanon  shall  be  turned  into  a 
fruitful  field,  and  the  fruitful  field  shall  be  esteemed  as  a  forest. 
Will  the  "good  citizens"  be  kind  enough  to  draw  their  own  infer- 
ence from  this  ?  And  in  that  day  shall  the  deaf  hear,  and  the 
eyes  of  the  blind  shall  see  out  of  obscurity,  and  out  of  darkness. 
The  meek  also  shall  increase  their  joy  in  the  Lord,  and  the  poor 
among  men  shall  rejoice  in  the  Holy  One  of  Israel ;  the  rigliteous 
shall  no  longer  be  sold  for  silver,  and  the  poor  for  a  pair  of  shoes, 
being  pressed  under  you,  as  a  cart  is  pressed  that  is  full  of  sheaves. 
A  man  and  his  father  shall  no  more  go  in  unto  the  same  maid, 
to  profane  my  holy  name,  saith  the  Lord.  And  I  will  smite  the 
winter  house  with  the  summer  house;  and  the  houses  of  ivory 
shall  perish,  and  the  great  houses  shall  have  an  end :  the  Lord 
God  hath  sworn  this  by  his  holiness.  And  the  multitude  of  all 
the  nations  that  fight  against  Ariel,  even  all  that  fight  against 
her,  and  her  munition,  and  that  distress  her,  shall  be  as  a  dream 
of  a  night  vision  ;  it  shall  even  be  as  when  a  hungry  man  dream- 
eth,  and  behold  he  eateth :  but  he  awaketh  and  his  soul  is  empty. 
Or  as  when  a  thirsty  man  dreamcth,  and  behold  he  drinketh  :  but 
he  awaketh,  and  behold  he  is  faint,  and  his  soul  hath  appetite; 
so  shall  the  multitude  of  all  the  nations  be,  that  fight  against 
mount  Zion. 

Of  our  friend  we  would  say.  His  work  is  yet  scarce  begun,  it 
shall  spring  forth  a  full-fledged  reality,  for  the  seed  shall  be  pros- 
perous ;  tlie  vine  shall  give  her  fruit,  and  the  ground  shall  give 
her  increase,  and  the  heavens  shall  give  their  dew. 

His  strict  integrity  of  purpose,  combined  with  high  intellectual 
capabilities,  render  him  a  valuable  and  efficient  instrument  for 
good  in  the  hands  of  the  higher  powers,  especially  so  as  his  men- 
tal superstructure  is  such,  that  he  is  enabled  to  receive  impres- 
sions with  unusual  alacrity  and  clearness :  his  perceptive  faculties 
also,  rendering  him  a  competent  "machine"  for  winnowing  the 
grain.  We  trust  the  harvest  will  be  plenteous,  and  will,  when 
fully  ripe,  be  gathered  into  the  garners  of  Spiritual  Liberty,  whose 
dedication  shall  be  ascribed  in  letters  of  gold,  to  —  the  Lord 

OUR  ElOHTEOUSNESS. 

Extract  from  our  third  letter:  — 

"  I  have  read  your  Book  with  interest ;  have  not  investigated  the 
principal  subject  of  w^hich  it  treats,  and  am  of  course,  unable  to 


270  THE    UNSEALED   BOOK. 

form  any  opinion  in  regard  to  such  matters,  except  from  what 
little  I  have  read  of  them:  but  whether  true  or  false,  I  have  never 
for  a  moment  doubted  your  integrity  or  sincerity  in  the  matter; 
at  the  same  time,  I  have  not  been  convinced  that  it  would  make 
me  either  happier  or  better,  or  that  it  was  my  duty  to  look  into 
the  subject  of  Spiritualism." 

"We  have  here  a  representative  of  a  large  class  of  people  who, 
for  three  subsecutive  reasons  have  not  taken  upon  themselves 
the  responsibility  of  an  investigation  of  the  subject  in  question-. 
In  the  first  place,  the  manifold  cares  and  duties  incumbent  upon 
the  head  of  a  family  who  are  dependent  upon  his  exertions  for 
their  daily  sustenance,  leave  little  time  or  opportunity  for  study 
or  research  beyond  the  present  and  the  immediate  future.  Sec- 
ondly, their  inbred  principles  from  early  instillations,  the 
nature  of  their  avocations,  the  populace  by  which  they  are 
surrounded,  all  tend  to  dissuade  rather  than  promote  an  investiga- 
tion of  this  still  unpopular  theory,  even  had  they  a  desire  of 
obtaining  knowledge  thereof.  Lastly,  they  feel  themselves  per- 
fectly safe  so  long  as  they  depart  not  from  the  path  their  fore- 
fathers trod,  they  have  around  them  a  wide  circle  of  devoted 
freinds,  none  especially  dear  having  been  called  from  their  midst. 

As  a  natural  result  this  combination  of  circumstances  and  con- 
ditions produces  indifference  on  their  part  without  any  feelings 
of  malevolence  or  any  desire  to  exert  an  opposing  influence. 
They  look  upon  Spiritualism  as  a  theorem  of  little  importance  to 
them,  and,  as  our  friend  writes,  are  not  convinced  that  they  should 
be  any  happier,  better,  or  that  it  is  their  duty  to  investigate  the 
subject. 

"  Spiritualism,  whether  in  ancient  or  modern  times,  does  not 
always  lead  to  pleasant  results,  neither  does  the  elimination  of 
any  great  truth.  Advanced  ideas  invariably  bring  martyrs  to  the 
front." 

We  listened,  some  time  ago,  to  a  conversation  between  some 
friends,  one  of  whom  had  been  absent  for  a  time  from  her 
native  town.  As  is  usual  in  such  cases,  the  matrimonial  alliances 
and  anticipations  were  among  the  first  subjects  of  discussion.  One 
friend,  strange  to  say,  for  it  was  one  of  whom  they  would  have 
least  expected  it  —  had  done  splendidly,  better  than  any  girl  in 
the  place  ever  had  done,  or  ever  would  do.    She  had  married  a 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  271 

ricli  widower  with  quite  a  large  family  of  children.  I  did  not 
learn  of  which  component  part  the  splendor  consisted  —  the  man, 
the  money,  or  the  children ;  all  combined,  perhaps.  A  young 
man  had  "  up  and  got  married  "  for  no  earthly  reason  except  that 
he  could  not  live  with  his  step-mother.  Poor  thing!  from  what 
I  gathered,  however,  he  did  not  better  himself  much.  As  we 
freely  expressed  our  opinion  in  regard  to  matrimony  in  our  former 
work,  we  will  not  elaborate  upon  the  subject  here,  but  will  give 
an  extract  from  which  mothers  —  step-mothers  included  —  may 
derive  a  lesson;  also  the  multitude  of  unfortunate  beings  who 
are  "  married  and  not  mated." 

"  John  Kepler,  so  little  popularly  known,  who  discovered  the 
motion  of  the  sun,  the  weight  of  the  atmosphere,  the  elliptical 
orbits  of  the  planets,  and  the  great  law  that  '  the  squares  of  the 
periodic  times  of  the  planets  are  to  each  other  as  the  cubes  of  their 
mean  distances  from  the  sun,'  and  other  great  principles  in  the 
philosophy  of  astronomy,  and  a  most  dutiful  and  devoted  son, 
whose  care,  kindness  and  affection  for  his  mother,  who  had  cause- 
lessly contemned  him  and  bestowed  her  favors  on  her  other  sons, 
who  afterwards  neglected  her  in  her  old  age,  extorted  the  follow- 
ing words  from  her  dying  lips :  '  I  wish  that  all  mothers  would 
take  warning  by  my  case,  and  never  show  any  preference  to  one 
child  over  another  until  they  see  good  reason  to  do  so.  Above 
all,  none  should  be  harsh,  but  kind,  to  the  one  that 's  anxious  for 
knowledge.'  He  thus  speaks  in  his  epitaph,  written  by  himself : 
*  I  have  measured  the  heavens ;  I  now  measure  the  shades  of  tho 
earth.  The  intellect  is  celestial ;  here  only  the  shadow  of  the 
body  reposes.'  This  great  and  good  man  had  to  prosecute  his 
studies  under  the  great  incubus  of  extreme  indigence,  and  his 
only  instrument,  with  which  he  measured  the  heavens,  was  con- 
structed of  three  sticks  of  wood,  formed  into  a  triangle  and  grad- 
uated, with  goose  quills  for  sights.  And,  like  Milton,  MafStt, 
Bulwer,  Lardner,  and  many  of  the  finest  intellects  of  the  world, 
he  was  unfortunate  in  his  matrimonial  selection.  What  a  clog, 
what  a  curse,  for  such  a  man,  measuring  the  machinery  of  the 
universe,  or  studying  the  springs  of  human  hope  and  its  deep  ar- 
cana, soaring  for  the  sublime  and  towering  to  the  true,  to  be  tied 
to  a  termagant  whose  cross,  contracted,  distorted,  capricious  ken 
never  reached  beyond  her  poultry-yard  or  goose-pond,  whose  vira- 
ginity  is  her  religion,  who  quarrels  at  his  every  generous  and 


272  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

noble  deed,  contemns  his  honorable  impulses  and  efforts,  abuses 
his  lofty  aspirations,  sneers  at  his  sensitiveness,  and  reviles  his 
refinement.  Thus  the  contumacious  and  contumelious  wife  and 
undutiful  and  ungrateful  children,  as  in  the  case  of  Milton,  treat 
him  whose  hand  holds  their  heads  above  the  wave,  and  whose 
efforts  would  weave  a  wreath  around  their  names  as  fadeless  as 
the  flowers  of  his  congenial  paradise.  Why  is  it  that  men  of 
genius  are  nearly  always  thus  unhappy  in  their  conjugal  connec- 
tions ?  It  is  a  well  known  truth  and  fact,  and  therefore  must 
have  a  reason  and  a  philosophy.  Indulge  a  brief  answer  to  this 
question,  as  it  involves  one  of  the  most  important  relations  of 
life.  Genius  is  original,  superb,  bold,  defiant,  and  disdains  to 
follow  the  worn-out  paths  of  others,  whether  it  be  or  not  a  disease 
of  the  nerves,  as  declared  by  a  learned  doctor ;  hence  the  com- 
paratively ignorant  wife,  and  her  more  ignorant  friends,  and 
simple,  conceited  neighbors,  ever  eager  to  officiate,  call  this  eccen- 
tricity, obduracy,  imbecility. 

"  The  moles  and  bats,  in  full  assembly,  find, 
On  special  search,  the  keen-eyed  eagle  blind." 

Genius  also  has  its  puerilities,  and  is  subject  to  the  greatest  per- 
turbations, like  the  streaming  meteor,  and  these,  its  mere  aberra- 
tions, are  taken  by  the  ignorant  for  its  normal  orbit  and  natural 
status.  For  instance  Sir  Isaac  Newton,  I  think  it  was,  or  some 
other  great  mind,  on  having  his  new  barn  completed,  required 
the  workmen  to  cut  a  hole  in  the  door  for  the  cats  to  enter,  to 
drive  off  the  rats.  After  the  hole  was  made  for  the  cat,  which 
required  but  a  few  moments,  he  asked  his  workmen  also  to  cut 
some  smaller  ones  for  the  kittens,  as  he  wished  them  to  multiply. 
*  But,'  said  the  workmen,  '  if  a  grown  cat  can  go  through  that 
hole,  so  can  the  little  kittens.'  '  Sure  enough,'  rejoined  the  genius. 
There  are  many  such  ludicrous  instances  of  absence  of  mind, — 
for  they  are  nothing  else,  —  recorded  of  great  men,  which  silly 
men  regard  as  the  test  of  mentality.  The  great  mind,  after  its 
herculean  efforts  on  great  subjects,  becomes  on  these  small  trivi- 
alities quiescent,  and  is  then  comparatively  asleep;  and  such  ac- 
tive minds  require  more  sleep  than  sluggish  ones.  Napoleon  fre- 
quently slept  on  the  field  of  battle,  on  the  issue  of  which  the  fate 
of  Empires  trembled.    It  is  the  moral  duty  of  genius  to  pity  the 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  273 

weak  and  self-conceited  simpleton,  and  some  do,  occasionally, 
but  not  invariably,  for  genius  is  generally  unstable  and  erratic, 
like  the  vivid  lightning's  gleam.  There  are  many  who  attain  re- 
nown through  adventitious  fortune;  but  few  men  of  genius  are 
known  to  the  world,  compared  to  the  many  unknown.  Again, 
the  man  of  genius  and  culture  is  capable  of  conceiving,  and  is 
hence  apt  to  fix  a  standard  so  high,  of  female  loveliness,  that  few 
women  can  '  fill  the  bill,'  to  use  a  quaint  phrase  ;  hence  his  fre- 
quent disappointments.  And  again,  genius  is  high-spirited,  full 
of  passion,  impatient  of  restraint,  excitable  and  irritable,  (which 
irritability  is  confounded,  by  the  vixen,  with  her  own  irascibility), 
and  therefore  requires  a  wife  of  more  than  ordinary  gentleness, 
patience  and  amiability.  But  genius,  superb  in  its  ideal,  will 
have  none  other  than  a  woman  of  superb  beauty;  and  nature 
never  lavishes  all  her  gifts  in  one  individual.  I  opine  it  would  be 
as  hard  to  find  a  beautiful  woman  who  is  amiable,  as  it  is  to  find 
a  great  man  who  is  pretty.  And  yet  further,  may  it  not  some- 
times happen  that  an  invidious  wife,  and  her  still  more  invidious 
friends,  seek  to  drag  the  husband  from  his  towering  altitude,  down 
to  their  level,  whom  they  can  never  otherwise  hope  to  equal." 

"  Oh,  mortals !  remember  that  the  high  and  the  low,  the  rich 
and  the  poor,  the  wise  and  the  ignorant, — when  the  soul  has 
shaken  off  the  cumbrous  shackles  of  this  mortal  life, — shall 
equally  receive  their  just  deserts,  under  the  divine  law  of  compen- 
sation ;  for  their  good  works  here,  happiness  there ;  for  their  evil 
deeds,  sorrow.  The  greater  the  wickedness,  the  more  intense  the 
remorse.  The  greater  the  good  deeds,  the  more  delightful  will  be 
the  condition  of  the  soul  in  the  spirit  realm." 

In  connection  with  this  truth,  and  showing  the  different  alti- 
tudes and  conceptions  of  those  entering  the  new  life,  we  here  in- 
sert some  messages  from  the  spirit-world,  given  through  the  me- 
diumship  of  Mrs.  Danskin  of  Baltimore,  through  whose  powers 
"  hundreds  of  spirits  have  conversed  with  their  friends  on  earth, 
while  she  was  in  the  entranced  condition,  totally  unconscious." 
"We  copy  the  same  from  the  Banner  of  Light. 

"  Free,  free  from  the  fetters  of  an  earthly  life,  give  mc  a  place- 
in  that  kingdom  which  hath  not  been  made  by  hands  !  W.  A, 
Richardson  of  Quincy,  111.    My  native  place  was  Kentucky.    I 


274  THE    UNSEALED   BOOK. 

was  interested  in  all  things  that  appertained  to  the  public  welfare. 
Born  in  1811.  1  studied  law,  or,  rather,  I  became  a  lawyer.  Af- 
terward I  went  to  Illinois,  where  I  settled.  I  was  chosen  five 
times  to  fill  a  place  in  the  National  Legislature,  I  was  on  the 
electoral  ticket  for  Polk  and  Dallas.  I  held  a  command  on  the 
battle-field  of  Buena  Vista;  and  with  all  these  achievements 
which  men  hold  so  important,  what  gained  I  in  the  presence  of  the 
Infinite  ?  Many  a  beggar  who  walked  the  streets  day  and  night, 
asking  alms,  was  arrayed  in  more  beautiful  garments  than  I. 

My  mind  was  filled  with  wonder  when  I  beheld  the  conditions 
of  the  new  life.  Said  I,  '  Do  the  lowly  become  stationed  above 
the  higher  in  this  world,  or  am  I  mistaken  ?  Is  this  a  mere  pic- 
ture ?  Am  I  dead,  or  am  I  not  ? '  A  voice  rolled  down  from  the 
distant  heights,  which  thrilled  me  as  would  an  electric  shock,  and 
made  me  stand  erect  in  my  manhood.  It  said,  '  Look  upward, 
not  downward ;  leave  earth  and  all  its  treasures  behind,  and  seek 
yonder  beautiful  sun  that  is  just  rising  above  the  hills  I '  I  was 
amazed ;  I  was  filled  with  wonder.  The  thought  of  myself  was 
not  spoken,  but  flashed  through  the  spirit-brain.  The  voice  asrain 
said,  '  You  are  not  dead  in  our  sight,  but  in  the  sight  of  iffnorant 
men ;  they  call  you  dead.  You  have  a  strong  and  cultivated  in- 
tellect ;  come  forward  in  your  manhood,  and  deny  to  mortals  that 
which  has  been  so  erroneously  taught  them,  —  that  death  was  the 
fate  of  all  mankind ;  that  death  was  the  penalty  offered  to  trans- 
gression ;  that  death  was  the  monster  that  all  men  should  fear. 

Tell  them  what  you  have  learned  of  death.'  And  now,  men 
and  women,  (I  speak  to  the  unlettered  and  ignorant  as  well  as  to 
the  cultured  and  wise),  let  one  who  has  tasted  of  the  deep,  strong 
knowledge  of  immortality,  tell  you  that  there  is  no  death  in  the 
U7iiverses  of  the  Infinite.  We  only  resign  that  which  we  borrow 
from  mother  earth,  and  the  ever-living  spirit  returns  to  the  Source 
whence  it  came. 

Blessed  be  thy  name,  0  Infinite  one !  for  he  has  by  the  opera- 
tion of  his  divine  laws,  rooted  out  ignorance  from  my  mind,  and 
implanted  therein  knowledge. 

This  philosophy,  which  has  so  much  light  in  it,  deals  iustly, 
both  with  the  saint  and  the  sinner.  Regret  goes  backward,  that  I 
did  not  seek  the  knowledge  of  it  when  in  the  earth-form  —  not 
for  my  benefit  alone,  but  for  the  good  I  might  have  done  to  hu- 
manity." 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  275 

"What  positive  proof  have  I,  white-robed  angel,  that  I  am  not 
dead  ?  The  reply  comes.  '  Speak,  young  man,  and  the  exercise 
of  your  attributes  will  dictate  to  you  whether  you  have  life  or 
whether  you  are  dead.'  I  am  youthful  —  only  eighteen  years  old. 
I  feel  as  if  something  very  mysterious  had  crossed  the  pathway 
of  my  young  life.  I  have  not  power  to  define  it.  In  general 
feature  this  place  where  I  am  is  like  the  one  which  I  left.  I  am 
a  stranger  among  you ;  as  such  treat  me.  There  is  vacancy  with 
me  which  nothing  in  this  life  seems  to  fill.  I  am  not  anv  nearer 
to  God  than  I  was  before.  I  realize  now  that  I  did  not  pay  suf- 
ficient attention  to  the  laws  of  my  physical  nature.  Let  all  who 
are  kindred  to  me  cease  from  weeping  and  mourning,  for  all  in 
good  time  I  will  grow  in  knowledge  of  the  laws  of  this  life,  and 
will  thus  grow  in  happiness." 

"  There  is  sorrow  and  mourning  and  grief  in  the  household 
over  my  death.  I  feel  peculiarly  strange.  I  scarce  can  realize 
that  from  death  comes  life,  but  so  it  is.  I  have  all  tlie  attri- 
butes of  the  living  man.  I  have  sight,  feeling,  and  hearing. 
'More  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive'  —  thus  I  hand  down  the 
biblical  record.  From  death  comes  life,  when  one  in  his  youth- 
ful days  acquaints  himself  with  the  laws  of  God  as  well  as  the 
laws  of  man.  Mother,  believe  me,  I  am  not  dead,  but  alive. 
Mother,  believe  me,  I  do  not  speak  from  the  grave,  but  from  the 
blue  sky,  in  the  heavens  where  the  white-robed  angels  have  con- 
verted me  to  their  work.  A  fair  spirit  bids  me  come  and  com- 
mune as  best  I  may,  saying  that  it  will  give  me  enhanced  pleasure 
in  my  new  life." 

"  Art  thou  balanced  well  in  mind  [addressing  a  spirit]  to  ask 
me  to  say  *  farewell,  vain  world,  I  bid  adieu  to  thee  and  those  I 
love?'  No,  I  cannot  say  it.  I  almost  feel  angered  with  the 
author  of  my  being  for  having  built  me  up  intellectually  and  sur- 
rounded me  with  wealth,  and  given  everything  to  make  life 
pleasant  and  happy,  and  then,  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  as  it 
were,  to  take  all  from  me  and  cast  me  into  a  world  that  I  stand 
in  ignorance  of.  I  am  not  capable  of  judging,  nor  do  I  wish  to 
be  judged.  Give  me  back  life  —  life  on  earth,  with  all  my  physi- 
cal ailments  ;  earth  was  more  pleasant  to  me  than  is  all  this  vast 
country.     Father,  in  your  sorrow  you  may  weep,  for  your  son  la 


276  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

dead,  dead  to  the  world  he  has  left,  and  dead  to  the  one  he  has 
entered.  Let  the  curtain  fall,  and  let  me  sleep  that  sleep  which 
will  never  have  an  awakening.  Yes,  write  it  out,  and  after  you 
have  written  it  close  the  page,  and  let  it  moulder  away  as  will 
the  body  of  myself.  I  cannot  do  it  justice,  nor  can  I  have  justice 
done  me.    I  am  the  son  of  one  whose  croiuning  point  is  luealth.^^ 

"How  sweet,  how  calm  to  die  and  to  be  resurrected  into  life. 
I  found  a  new  and  beautiful  life  'over  the  river.'  Gladsome 
friends  met  me,  and  we  rejoiced  together  over  one  more  new 
birth.  Our  Father,  who  art  in  heaven,  hath  dealt  kindly,  gra- 
ciously with  his  new-born  child.  He,  by  his  instruments,  has 
taught  me  that  I  am  not  a  mere  worm  of  the  earth,  that  I  have 
an  existence  in  this  world  that  brings  with  it  beauty  and  utility, 
not  only  to  myself  but  to  those  whom  I  have  left  behind  me. 
Kindred  and  friends,  if  you  can  read  these  lines,  you  will  find 
that  I  am  not  dead,  but  alive,  living  in  that  world  where  death 
never  enters.  I  am  told  by  one  Avho  is  a  worker  among  the 
spirits  to  come  hither  and  unfold  my  life  beyond  the  grave. 
Many  mourn  me  dead.  In  seeing  this  they  will  recognize  that  I 
have  the  attributes  of  life,  and  with  those  attributes  power  to  speak 
again  to  those  whom  I  have  left  behind  me.    Farewell." 

A.  J.  Davis  says  :  "  Believe  not  that  what  is  called  death,  is  a 
final  termination  of  human  existence,  nor  that  the  change  is  so 
thorough  and  entire  as  to  alter  or  destroy  the  constitutional  pe- 
culiarities of  the  individual :  but  believe  righteously  that  death 
causes  as  much  alteration  in  the  condition  of  the  individual,  as 
the  bursting  of  the  rose-bud  causes  in  the  situation  and  condition 
of  the  flower.  Death  is  only  an  event,  a  circumstance,  in  the 
eternal  life  and  experience  of  the  soul.  As  the  death  of  the  germ 
is  necessary  to  the  birth  and  development  of  the  flower,  so  is  the 
death  of  man's  physical  body  an  indispensable  precedent  and  in- 
dication of  his  spiritual  birth  or  resurrection.  .  .  .  Night  and 
sleep,  correspond  to  physical  death ;  but  the  brilliant  day  and  hu- 
man wakefulness,  correspond  to  spiritual  birth  and  indiviiual 
elevation." 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  277 


WILL    WONDERS    NEVER    CEASE  .'' 

"  One  night,  while  Joseph  Jefferson  was  acting  Eip  Van  Win- 
kle, he  lost  all  consciousness  of  where  he  was ;  when  he  came  to 
himself,  he  started  as  though  from  a  sound  sleep,  and  finishing 
his  scene  mechanically,  rushed  up  to  some  one  in  the  wings,  and 
asked  them  what  had  happened,  —  had  he  made  some  dreadful 
blunder  ?  No  one  had  noticed  anything ;  yet  Jefferson  avers 
that  he  was  not  there  in  S}nrit,  from  the  early  part  of  the  per- 
formance, to  the  late  stage  of  the  representation,  when  he  'awoke ' 
and  found  himself  toujours  Rip.  After  this  it  is  not  surprising 
that  Mr.  Jefferson  should  declare  that  he  plays  the  character  un- 
der spiritualistic  influences." 


THE    POPE   A   MEDIUM. 

The  Courier  de  Bruxelles  gives  the  following  account  of  a 
miraculous  cure  affected  lately  by  his  Holiness  Pius  IX. 

"A  relif/ieuse  of  the  Order  of  the  Sacred   Heart,  the  Rev. 

Mother  Julia  N ,  daughter  of  one  of  the  most  distinguished 

diplomats  of  Belgium,  after  a  violent  nervous  attack,  had  her 
right  arm  so  completely  paralyzed  that  it  had  to  be  bandaged  to 
boards  for  support.  Her  finger-nails  had  become  black,  and  the 
bones  of  the  fingers  and  elbow  had  become  displaced  and,  as  it 
were,  dislocated. 

In  vain  had  the  medical  men  prescribed  change  of  air.  At 
Vienna,  where  she  first  betook  herself,  afterward  at  Rome,  where 
she  arrived  about  the  end  of  September,  the  disease  assumed  even 
a  more  aggravated  form.  The  sufferer,  nevertheless,  cherished  a 
secret  hope  that  she  would  be  cured,  and  through  her  being  at 
Rome,  if  she  could  but  see  the  Holy  Father.  She  obtained  an 
audience  on  October  19.  The  Holy  Father,  at  first  surprised  at 
the  rcfjuest  for  cure  that  had  been  made  him,  and  wishing,  too, 
perhaps  to  try  the  faith  of  the  invalid,  said  to  her:  *  My  daughter, 
I  have  not  the  gift  of  miracles.'  But  he  immediately  added, '  Put 
your  trust  in  God,  for  nothing  is  impossible  to  his  mercy.' 

However,  as  the  religious  ladies,  and  especially  the  niece  of  the 
Holy  Father,  besought  him  that  he  himself  would  deign  to  com- 
mend the  sick  person  to  God,  and  to  bless  her,  the  Pope  became 


278  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

for  an  instant  recollected  in  prayer,  his  hands  joined,  and  liis 
eyes  raised  to  heaven ;  then  addressing  the  invalid,  he  said,  '  My 
daughter,  have  faith  —  that  faith  which  moves  mountains.' 

He  several  times  repeated  the  same  words  to  her,  and,  having 
asked  her  name,  he  took  occasion  from  it  to  insist  anew  on  faith. 
'  St.  Julia,'  he  said,  'gave  her  life  for  Jesus  Christ,  and  she  proved 
by  her  martyrdom  how  ardent  was  her  faith.'  Having  then 
taken  the  ring  of  the  religious  profession  which  the  invalid 
wore  on  her  left  hand,  the  Holy  Father  blessed  it,  and  made  her 
place  it  on  the  finger  of  her  right  hand.  'At  that  very  instant,' 
the  Rev.  Mother  Julia  asserts,  '  I  felt  life  return  to  the  paralyzed 
part,  and  the  blood  resumed  its  circulation  throughout  the  entire 
arm.' 

The  Pope  then  bade  her  make  the  sign  of  the  cross ;  but,  as 
instinctively,  and  by  the  force  of  habit,  she  was  about  to  make  it 
with  the  left  hand.  'No,  no,  not  like  that!'  said  the  Holy 
Father;  'the  sign  of  the  cross  must  be  made  with  the  right 
hand — the  Catholic  sign  of  the  cross.'  And,  in  fact,  the  Rev. 
Mother  Julia  was  able  to  sign  herself  with  the  right  hand,  al- 
though still  hesitating,  and  with  some  difficulty. 

At  the  bidding  of  the  Holy  Father  she  made  a  second  sign  of 
the  cross,  and  this  time  without  the  smallest  hesitation,  and  in  a 
perfect  manner.  She  was  cured.  On  her  return  to  the  Villa 
Santa  she  was  able  to  write,  on  the  same  day,  a  long  letter  of 
thanks  to  the  Holy  Father,  and  she  wrote  it  with  the  very  hand 
which  shortly  before  was  paralyzed.  The  cure  is  complete.  The 
finger-nails  have  recovered  their  natural  color,  and  the  bones  of 
the  fingers  and  arms  have  resumed  their  normal  position." 

"  A  worthy  Jewish  family  by  the  name  of  Hydeman,  residing 
at  59  Lancaster  Street,  Albany,  N.  Y,,  have  a  lovely  daughter, 
now  about  three  years  of  age.  Some  months  since,  it  fell  ill,  and 
when  partially  recovered,  had  its  lower  limbs  suddenly  paralyzed. 
For  weeks  it  sat,  an  uncomplaining  little  sufferer,  bringing  tears 
to  the  eyes  and  anguish  to  the  hearts  of  its  doting  parents  and 
friends.  An  excellent  family  physician  was  of  course  a  regular 
attendant ;  but  his  medicines  utterly  failed  to  produce  any  ef- 
fect. Mrs.  and  Mr.  Hydeman  then  had  the  hardihood  to  try  my 
friend,  Dr.  Smith,  who,  after  twenty-one  'treatments,'  using  only 
his  hands,  and  no  medicine  whatever,  fully  restored  the  dear 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  279 

little  girl  to  all  her  former  activity  and  gayety.  I  called  to  see 
her,  aud  found  her  running  about  the  room  as  if  no  terrible 
hiatus  had  ever  occurred  to  mar  the  merry  sound  of  her  happy 
hours. 

"  A  young  married  lady,  residing  on  the  line  of  railway  between 
Baltimore  aud  Washington  City,  had  been  for  six  months  in  a 
state  of  mental  disturbance  that  baffled  the  skill  of  her  physicians. 
Her  family  were  about  to  send  her  to  an  insane  asylum,  when  a 
brother-in-law  haj^pened  to  read  a  copy  of  my  book,  —  Hoio  and 
Why  I  Became  a  Spiritualist,  —  called  on  me  aud  asked  if  I 
thought  relief  could  be  obtained  through  Mrs.  D.'s  mediumship; 
I  promised  to  submit  the  case  to  Spirit  Dr.  Eush,  and  let  the  in- 
quirer know  the  result.  My  intention  was  to  mention  this  appli- 
cation as  soon  as  I  reached  home :  but  becoming  interested  in  other 
matters,  I  ommittcd  to  do  so.  When  seated  at  the  dinner  table, 
Dr.  Rush  controlled  Mrs.  Danskiu  and  said,  '/read  the  condition 
of  the  patient  through  your  magnetism  and  that  of  her  friend; 
tell  him  to  bring  her  to  your  home  as  speedily  as  possible.'  The 
next  morning  the  patient  came,  in  care  of  her  sister,  who  said  that 
she  had  not  slept  more  than  two  hours  and  a  half  at  any  one  time 
during  the  previous  six  months.  A  diagnosis  of  the  case  was 
given,  stating  that  in  giving  birth  to  a  child  there  had  been  a  loss 
of  animal  magnetism,  which  deranged  the  action  of  the  vital 
forces,  and  made  her  susceptible  to  disturbing  influences;  she  was 
almost  immediately  thrown  into  a  deep  magnetic  slumber,  which 
lasted  six  hours.  Medicines  magnetically  prepared  were  admin- 
istered, and  in  less  than  two  months  the  equilibrium  of  mind  and 
body  were  restored,  and  she  who  would  probably  have  become  a 
raving  maniac  in  the  atmospliere  and  among  the  influences  of  an 
insane  asijlum,  was  restored  to  her  friends,  and  is  now  a  healthy, 
beautiful,  and  accomplished  woman." 


"  A    MURDERER    EXPOSED    BY    SPIRITS." 
[Taken  from  the  Banner  of  Light.] 

"  The  English  secular  papers,  recently,  were  filled  with  extended 
reports  of  the  detection,  trial,  and  execution  of  Henry  Wainwright, 
for  the  murder  of  Harriet  Lane,  her  remains  having  been  cut  into 
several  pieces  and  wrapped  in  a  sack,  wherein  they  were  discov- 


280  THE    UNSEALED   BOOK. 

ered  in  a  most  remarkable  manner.  While  not  wishing  to  go 
through  with  the  harrowing  details  of  the  crime,  we  de.^ire  to 
place  on  record  on  this  side  the  Atlantic,  the  fact  that  tlie  act  was 
revealed  through  the  most  unmistakable  intervention  of  spirit 
power,  always  supposing  Mr.  Alfred  P.  Stokes  to  have  spoken  and 
written  truthfully  concerning  the  warning  he  received.  The 
matter  can  best  be  conveyed  to  the  mind  of  the  reader  in  the  fol- 
lowing extract  from  Mr.  Stokes'  letter  to  Wainwright,  after  the 
death-sentence  had  been  passed  on  the  latter. 

'  I  feel  that  I  must  write  to  you,  to  say  that  I  trust  that  you 
will  not  consider  that  what  I  have  done  or  said  against  you  was 
either  said  or  done  from  any  personal  malice  toward  you,  or  that 
I  was  lacking  in  friendship  toward  you  because  I  could  not  bring 
myself  to  any  endeavor  to  try  and  screen  you ;  on  the  contrary, 
I  and  all  to  whom  I  have  spoken,  who  were  formerly  in  your  em- 
ployment, have  always  esteemed  you  as  a  kind  and  good  master, 
and  always  a  most  generous  friend ;  God  and  yourself  only  know 
how  much  you  were  concerned  in  the  terrible  crime  laid  to  your 
charge :  but  I  do  hope  and  trust  that  you  will  consider  that  in 
giving  any  evidence  against  you,  I  only  fulfilled  a  national 
duty,  which  I  believe  was  the  will  of  God,  and  which  I  know  was 
done  in  the  interest  of  humanity.  WJie)i  I  say  that  it  was  the 
will  of  God,  I  must  now  tell  you  more  of  the  details  of  the  strange 
promjjtings  I  had  to  open  the  parcel,  than  I  have  hitherto  made 
puUic. 

Perhaps  you  think,  as  I  know  many  in  the  world  think,  that  I 
was  only  moved  by  a  base  and  a  prying  curiosity.  But  I  can  as- 
sure you,  between  myself  and  God,  that  it  was  not  that,  but  that 
I,  in  reality,  was  urged,  as  it  were,  by  a  strange,  mysterious  agency, 
for  which  I  can  scarcely  account.  Probably  the  world  may  laugh, 
and  you,  too,  at  what  I  am  now  going  to  tell  you,  but  I  declare  it 
to  be  true.  It  has  caused  me,  more  than  ever,  to  be  convinced 
that  there  is  a  God  and  a  superhuman  power  around  us,  and  I 
hope  it  will  cause  you  to  think  so,  too.  These  unaccountable 
'promptings  began  the  very  moment  you  left  me  with  that  frightful 
bundle,  ivhilst  you  went  to  fetch  the  cab.  The  very  instant  your 
back  luas  turned,  I  seemed  to  hear  a  supernatural  voice  say  to  me, 
three  times,  as  distinctly  as  though  it  tvere  a  human  voice  some- 
where near  me, '  Open  that  parcel !  Open  that  parcel !  Look  in 
that  parcel !    I  at  first  thought  that  perhaps  you  were  carrying 


THE   IWSEALED   BOOK.  281 

away  liair  or  something,  not  belonging  to  yon,  and  I  liesitated 
what  I  should  do.  I  seemed  to  hear  the  voice  again,  and  then  felt 
pressed  on,  by  an  irresistable  impulse,  to  open  it.  /  immediately 
rent  it  open.  The  head  and  hands  came  tip  together,  and  as  I  stood 
for  a  moment,  aghast  at  the  mutilated  head,  so  grim,  and  yet  ap- 
parently so  pitiable,  thinking  over  and  puzzling  lohat  I  should  say 
to  you  lohen  you  came  hack,  I  seemed  instantly  possessed  and  con- 
trolled by  a  poioer  and  agency,  by  a  cautionary  prudence  and  energy 
not  my  own,  and  certainly  not  natural  to  me,  and  then,  as  I  hastily 
closed  up  the  parcel  again,  thinking  that  perhaps  it  would  be  best 
to  say  nothing  about  it,  I  seemed  to  hear  the  same  super- 
natural voice  address  me  again,  and  say,  *  Murder  !  it  is  a  mur- 
der !  Will  you  conceal  a  murder  9 '  /  then  said,  '  No,  not  for  my 
own  father  !  Oh,  pray,  God,  direct  me  aright ;  but  shall  I  give 
up  the  very  best  friend  I  have  had  in  my  life  ?  '  You  then  came 
up  with  the  cab,  took  the  parcels,  and  drove  away.  As  I  stood 
for  a  moment  in  utter  consternation,  with  my  hair  feeling  as 
tliough  it  stood  erect  on  my  head,  /  immediately  seemed  to  hear 
the  same  voice  again  addressing  me,  and  saying,  '  Folloiv  the  cab  ! 
folloio  the  cab  !'  I  at  once  did  so.  I  set  on  to  run  as  though  I 
was  propelled  along.  I  ran  till  I  nearly  dropped  from  exhaustion, 
and  certainly  seemed  sustained  by  a  strength  superior  to  my  otvn. 
Thus,  from  the  remembrance  of  the  strange,  inexplicable  power 
which  so  suddenly  overruled  me,  I  feel  convinced  that  I  was  really 
destined  to  be  the  humble  medium  by  which  that  mysterious  and 
barbarous  murder  was  to  be  brought  to  light.  Had  I  been  left  to 
my  own  natural  impulse  in  the  matter,  the  probability  is  that  the 
crime  would  not  have  been  so  fully  detected.  Under  tliese  cir- 
cumstances, then,  I  do  trust  that  you  will  personally  forgive  me.'  " 

I  hope  and  pray  that  if  I  have  done  amiss  in  reproducing  the 
above  statement.  God  and  the  angel-world  may  foririve  me; 
for  I  feel,  and  have  from  the  moment  I  commenced  writing  it, 
as  if  the  spirit  of  the  poor,  unfortunate  being  who  committed  the 
crime  were  present,  gazing  upon  me  with  sad,  reproachful  eyes. 
God  knows  that  I  would  not  willingly  add  one  pang  of  bitterness 
to  the  unutterable  woe  of  such  an  one,  whether  in  the  body  or 
out  of  the  body.  If  there  is  one  class  of  beings  more  than  an- 
other upon  earth,  who  stand  in  need  of  our  heartfelt  sympathy 
and  compassion,  it  is  such  as  these.     We  should  pity  their  inhe- 


282  THE  UNSEALED  BOOK. 

rent  nature ;  for  who  can  tell  when  or  by  what  means,  the  germ 
which  produces  the  unseemly  fruit  was  generated  or  implanted  ? 
And  who  but  God  can  tell  which  commits  the  greater  sin ;  he 
who,  —  it  may  be  in  the  heat  of  passion,  —  takes  the  life  of  a  fel- 
low mortal ;  or  he,  —  they,  we  might  better  say,  — who,  in  cool, 
calculating  earnest,  take  the  life  of  him  Avho  perpetrates  the  cruel 
deed  ? 

"  I  have  heard  old,  observant  men,  say  they  have  often  noticed 
that  a  violent  man  would  generally  die  by  violence  —  viewing  it 
as  a  righteous  retribution ;  and  also,  that  when  one  member  of  a 
devoted  circle  or  family  dies,  others  are  almost  certain  to  follow 
very  soon ;  and  further,  that  the  most  amiable  and  lovely  are  gen- 
erally selected  by  death  ;  hence  the  old  aphorism,  '  Death  loves  a 
shining  mark.'  I  believe  this  is  a  prevailing  opinion,  whether  de- 
rived from  the  Bible  or  from  experience,  or  from  both.  If  this 
be  true,  it  has  a  philosopy,  but  if  it  has  no  philosophy,  it  is  false  ; 
whether  or  not  we  understand  the  philosopy,  is  another  question. 
Now,  as  excarnated  men  or  angels  can,  and  do,  in  certain  condi- 
tions, influence  men  in  the  flesh  to  write  in  any  hand,  and  speak 
in  any  tongue,  and  perform  any  music  on  any  instrument,  all  un- 
known to  them,  and  also  move  heavy,  ponderable  bodies,  all 
through  a  proper  medium  in  rapport,  is  n't  it  in  accordance  with 
the  logic  of  other  analogies,  and  reasonable  to  suppose,  that  the 
spirit  of  the  murdered  man  can  find  some  unconscious  medium 
through  which  to  retaliate  upon  his  violent  murderer  yet  in  the 
flesh  ?  or  the  excarnated  loved  member  of  a  devoted  circle  find 
some  tractable,  unsonant  medium,  through  whom,  as  an  uncon- 
scious instrument,  to  gather  up  to  his  own  happy  abode,  some 
others  of  his  loved  jewels  left  behind  him  in  this  plain  of  sorrows  ? 
This  is  merely  suggested  as  a  speculative  hypothesis,  to  verify, 
through  philosophy,  these  old,  cherished  sentiments,  and,  if  true, 
clear  them  from  the  mist  of  miracle." 

Among  the  many  subtile  revelations  through  Allen  Kardee,  is 
the  most  interesting  one  relative  to  spirit  atmospheres,  a  vital 
part  in  the  economy  of  our  growth  and  expansion.  He  reminds 
us  that  spirits  constitute  the  invisible  population  of  the  globe, 
and  that  they  are  everywhere  in  space  and  about  us,  incessantly 
regarding  us,  and  even  jostling  us,  so  that  when  we  think  our- 
selves alone  we  are  surrounded  by  secret  witnesses  not  only  of 
our  actions  but  of  our  thoughts.    To  this  unconsidered  fact  is 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  283 

ascribed  the  disclosure  of  so  many  wrong  deeds  whose  authors 
had  thought  it  impossible  for  the  world  to  find  out.  In  any  as- 
sembly there  are  invisible  listeners  as  well  as  those  in  the  body; 
an  unlimited  number  may  occupy  a  given  space.  At  seances,  the 
atmosphere  may  be  said  sometimes  to  be  saturated  with  their 
fluidic  aura.  This  aura  which  emanates  from  spirits  is  whole- 
some according  to  the  degrees  of  their  purity.  Its  healing  proper- 
ties in  certain  cases  are  well  attested,  as  also  the  morbid  effect  upon 
some  individuals.  Therefore,  the  presence  of  a  multitude  of 
spirits  cannot  fail  to  exercise  an  influence  on  the  physical  as  well 
as  the  moral  health  of  any  assembly.  This  influence  is  good  or 
bad  as  the  spirits  emit  healthy  or  unwholesome  aura.  It  acts 
like  the  life-giving  emanations  of  one  locality,  or  the  deadly 
miasma  of  another.  This  is  enough  to  explain  the  collective  ef- 
fects which  are  produced  on  large  bodies  of  individuals ;  also  the 
state  of  tranquility  or  of  uneasiness  which  we  all  of  us  experience 
in  certain  companies,  without  knowing  the  secret  cause  of  it. 

It  also  explains  the  force  of  those  impulses  toward  good  or 
evil,  which  are  felt  by  assemblies  of  people.  Every  individual 
feels  this  influence  according  to  the  degree  of  his  sensibility, 
whether  his  surrounding  spirit  atmosphere  is  foul  or  vivifying. 
■For  this  reason,  our  constant  intercourse  with  the  spirit- world 
discloses  the  existence  of  a  principle  of  spiritual  hygiene,  to  which 
science  will  some  day  give  its  serious  attention,  and  plume  itself 
on  having  made  a  new  discovery.  The  great  point  to  be  con- 
sidered in  this  matter  is  the  necessity  for  our  health,  physical 
and  moral,  of  being  surrounded  with  a  healthy  spiritual  atmos- 
phere; and  in  connection  with  it,  of  course,  the  possibility  of  our 
driving  off  and  destroying  a  pestiferous,  miasmatic  atmosphere, 
emanating  from  evil  spirits  and  low  ones,  and  securing  only 
healthy  conditions  for  the  growth  of  our  natures. 

As  our  own  thoughts  and  sentiments  prevail  to  make  the 
choice  of  the  kind  of  spirits  for  us,  it  is  plain  that  we  have  but 
to  discipline  these  in  order  to  draw  to  us  the  sweetest  and  purest 
atmosphere  for  our  spirits  to  breathe,  and  for  our  bodies  to  re- 
ceive their  influence.  We  should  avoid  the  contact  of  unhealthy 
spiritual  aura  as  much  as  we  should  avoid  the  miasmatic  exhala- 
tions of  a  swamp.  The  qualities  of  the  perisprital  fluids  are  in  , 
correspondence  with  those  of  the  spirit,  in  fact  of  the  same  char- 
acter, whether  the  spirit  be  incarnated  or  de-incarnated.     The 


284  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

more  pure  and  elevated  its  sentiments,  the  more  refined  its  fluid. 
The  radiating  fluids  are  impregnated  with  the  thoughts  which 
rule  the  mind  of  an  incarnated  spirit.  They  may  be  invisible  to 
the  eye  of  sense,  but  the  soul  sees  and  recognizes  them  with 
clearness." 

Science  took  a  handful  of  sand,  and  constructed  a  telescope, 
and  with  it  explained  the  starry  depths  of  heaven.  Science 
wrested  from  the  gods  their  thunderbolts ;  and  now  the  electric 
spark,  freighted  with  thought  and  love,  flashes  under  all  the 
waves  of  the  seas.  Science  took  a  tear  from  the  cheek  of  unpaid 
labor,  converted  it  into  steam,  created  a  giant  that  turns  with 
tireless  arms  the  countless  wheels  of  toil. — Ingersoll. 

Says  Noah  Porter,  *  The  rules  of  inference  and  methods  of  in- 
duction are  as  truly  applied  in  the  occasions  of  every-day  life  by 
the  humblest  of  men  as  by  the  most  consummate  scientist.'  This 
is  a  fact  which  people  are  apt  to  leave  out  of  consideration,  when 
the  question  is  of  the  great  phenomena  of  Spiritualism.  Then  it 
is  asked.  What  man  of  science  has  admitted  them  ?  just  as  if  a 
shrewd,  intelligent,  level-headed  mechanic,  laborer,  sailor,  or  wood 
ranger,  would  not  be  as  quick  in  detecting  imposition  in  the  phe- 
nomena of  Spiritualism,  as  the  man  who  had  become  an  expert  in 
mathematics,  geology,  natural  history,  or  astronomy ;  or  that  an 
expert  in  jugglery  like  Houdin,  who  testified  to  the  fetichuman 
character  of  the  phenomena  through  Mr.  Home,  was  not  as  com- 
petent as  a  Tyndal  to  decide  on  that  question.  Much  loose  think- 
ing prevails  on  this  subject. 

There  is  a  science  of  Common  Sense  possessed  by  the  shrewd 
observant  man,  though  he  may  never  have  been  to  college,  which 
is  more  than  a  match  for  the  tests  of  a  Crooker  and  a  Var- 
ley.  The  testimony  of  thousands  of  clear-headed,  imaginative 
investigators,  men  and  women  who  have  looked  into  the  phenom- 
ena, should  not  be  set  aside  in  favor  of  the  comparatively  few 
testimonials  of  acknowledged  scientists.  The  latter  have  their 
value,  but  the  truth  of  Spiritualism  has  been  established  by  the 
concurrent  testimony  of  thousands,  who  claim  merely  the  science 
of  common  sense,  a  healthy  organization,  and  a  mind  not  likely 
to  be  misled  by  chimeras,  or  duped  by  impostures. 

Let  us  not  forget,  in  estimating  probabilities,  to  attach  some 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  285 

little  value  to  this  science  of  common  sense;  day  by  day  mediums 
who  have  been  denounced  by  superficial  investigators,  and  pre- 
tentlers  to  science,  as  frauds,  are  proving  the  genuineness  of  their 
mediumship.  He  who  thinks  to  arrive  at  just  conclusions  on  this 
great  subject  of  Spiritualism,  through  his  having  detected  what 
seem  to  him  a  few  suspicious  circumstances  at  a  seance,  may  live 
to  find  that  truth  lies  somewhat  deeper  than  he  had  supposed, 
and  that  the  imposition  was  not  in  the  medium,  nor  in  the  phe- 
nomena, hut  in  his  own  hasty  and  untrained  judgment,  and  super- 
ficial attainments.  Again,  Epes  Sargent  truly  remarks  in  his 
Reply  to  Tyndall,  '  Even  if  it  were  proved  that  two  thirds  of  those 
persons  believed  to  be  genuine  mediums,  though  subject  to  hu- 
man frailties,  like  Mrs.  Ilolway,  the  Edelys,  and  others,  had  occa- 
sionally in  the  absence  of  supposed  spirit  help,  resorted  to 
imposture,  or  that  all  their  manifestations  were  frauds,  it  loould 
not  impair  the  force  of  the  great,  irresistahle  body  of  thoroughly 
tested  facts,  on  ivhich,  Modern  Spiritualism  is  hased.'  To  attempt 
to  set  aside  these  irresistahle  facts,  by  quoting  some  insignificant 
failure,  or  some  attempted  fraud,  real  or  apparent,  is  an  absurdity 
to  those  who  know  the  beautiful  realities  that  have  been  abun- 
dantly proved,  and  have  stood  the  test  of  persistent  investigation 
now  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century." 

Gail  Hamilton  says  this  to  the  clergy :  "  There  is,  and  there 
can  be,  no  conflict  between  scientific  truth  and  religious  truth. 
Scientific  men  so  far  as  they  are  honest,  and  religious  men  so 
far  as  they  are  honest,  are  in  pursuit  of  one  and  the  same 
olject." 

We  will  next  insert  a  few  questions  propounded  by  J.  H.  Harter, 
and  responded  to  by  J.  M.  Peebles.  We  can  scarcely  forbear  to 
here  say  a  few  words  in  commendation  of  this  earnest,  eloquent, 
and  devoted  worker,  whom  the  heavenly  intelligences  have  en- 
joined to  "go  into  all  the  world  and  preach  the  gospel,"  and  who, 
as  all  may  opine  from  the  angelic  character  of  his  replies,  seems 
imbued  with  the  true  spirit  of  the  holy  Nazarene. 

"  Please  give  me  your  definition  of  Spiritualism  ? 
Spiritualism,  as  generally  understood,  implies  a  conscious  in- 
tercourse with  the  inhabitants  of  the  spirit  world;  in  a  broader 


286  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

and  better  sense,  Spiritualism  is  a  phenomenon,  a  science,  and  a 
religion,  kindling  in  all  sensitive  souls  the  loftiest  endeavor,  the 
holiest  aspirations. 

What  relation,  in  your  estimation,  does  Spiritualism  bear  to 
Christianity  ? 

If  by  Christianity  you  mean  the  moral  teachings  and  spiritual 
marvels  of  Jesus  Christ,  recorded  in  the  New  Testament,  I  have 
to  say  that  Spiritualism  and  Christianity  are  va  full  accord ;  their 
relation  standing  something  as  bud  and  blossom  upon  the  revela- 
tor's  '  Tree  of  Life,' ....  the  leaves  of  which  were  for  the  '  heal- 
ing of  the  nations.' 

Do  Spiritualists,  as  a  class,  recognize  the  necessity  and  efficacy 
of  prayer  ? 

Difficult  to  answer,  because  of  the  different  conceptions  of 
prayer,  and  the  indefinite  ideas  afloat  concerning  God.  Defining 
prayer  to  be  aspiration,  or  an  up-welling  and  out-flowing  of  the 
soul  toward  all  that  is  good,  pure  and  holy.  I  am  confident 
that  all  'Spiritualists,  as  a  class,  believe  in  the  necessity  and  effi- 
cacy of  prayer.'  And  yet  there  are  crusty,  crotchety  individuals 
who  take  a  chill  at  the  mere  mention  of  prayer.  The  '  rich  man 
in  hell '  who  '  cried  to  Father  Abraham, '  was  possibly  one  of  this 
sort.  Though  prayer  does  not  change  God,  nor  natural  law,  it 
does  affect  all  sincere  petitioners,  besides  calling  to  aid  angels  and 
ministering  spirits,  who,  under  the  providence  of  God,  delight  to 
answer  prayer.  Mrs.  Conant,  entranced,  uniformly  opened  her 
public  circles  with  prayer.  Mrs.  Tappan,  Mrs.  Brigham,  and 
nearly  all  of  our  most  successful  speakers,  commence  their  meet- 
ings with  an  invocation. 

Do  you  blame  Ambler,  Hayden,  S.  C.TIayford,  Dr.  Houghton, 
and  other  Spiritualist  lecturers,  for  going  into  the  liberal  churches 
as  preachers  ? 

Not  in  the  least.  Evidently  they  had  good  and  sufficient  rea- 
sons. They  still  believe  in  the  ministry  of  angels  and  spirits. 
I  neither  '  blame '  nor  condemn  anybody.  When  I  am  endowed 
with  infinite  knowledge,  and  become  absolutely  perfect,  I  may  pre- 
sume to  mount  the  judgment  seat,  and  deal  out  condemnation ! 
It 's  a  little  galling  to  at  least  one  of  those  brothers,  to  be  contin- 
ually criticised  and  stoned  by  '  sinners.' 

What  would  you  think  of  me,  Spiritualist  as  I  am,  if  I  should 
settle  over  a  Universalist  society  ?    I  have  been  invited  to  do  so 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  287 

since  I  gave  up  my  letter  of  fellowship,  and  left  the  denomina- 
tion. 

I  should  'think'  it  was  your  business,  not  mine.  And  just 
so  far  as  your  aims  and  motives  were  good,  I  should  say,  God  and 
the  holy  angels  bless  you. 

Do  you  consider  magic  and  occultism  the  keys  that  unlock  the 
wonders  of  Spiritualism  ? 

No.  Eeverse  it,  and  you  have  it.  Spiritualism,  with  its  multi- 
form phases  of  mediumship,  is  the  key  that  unlocks  magic,  occul- 
tism, and  all  the  marvelous  wonders  of  the  Orient. 

Do  you  accept  pre-existence,  and  re-incarnation  as  now  taught 
by  the  spirits  ? 

Most  sincerely  do  I  believe  in  the  pre-existence  of  the  soul. 
Ee-incarnation  is  another  matter.  Taught  by  some,  it  is  denied 
by  other  spirits.  In  my  case,  the  testimony  is  not  all  in.  Touch- 
ing discussion  upon  this  subject,  re-incarnationists  have  shown 
much  the  best  spirit.  It  is  as  unwise  to  denounce  as  it  is  impos- 
sible to  'scold,'  even  the  wildest  theory  out  of  existence. 

Why  is  there  so  much  evil-speaking,  back-biting,  and  slander 
current  among  mediums  and  speakers  ?  and  why  are  the  really 
good,  often  most  persecuted  ? 

Evil-speaking,  back-biting,  and  the  current  slanders  to  which 
you  refer,  —  necessities  of  ante-natal  tendencies,  unbalanced  tem- 
peraments, plebeian  associations,  and  darker  influences,  —  are  not 
alone  peculiar  to  Spiritualists.  A  leading  character  in  the  ranks 
of  the  liberal  Christian  clergy,  recently  said  : 

'  There  is  cannabalism  around  about  us  all  the  time  and  every- 
where. Not  a  bird's  leg  is  taken  up  and  counted  a  more  delicious 
morsel,  and  is  more  deliberately  picked,  and  chewed,  and  relished 
in  all  its  juices,  than  a  person's  reputation  is  taken  up,  and  cut, 
and  bitten,  and  sucked  dry,  and  cast  out.  It  is  wicked  ;  it  is 
damnable;  it  is  treason  to  man  and  treason  to  God;  and  yet  such 
things  are  common.  Why !  men  will  not  carry  vermin  on  their 
heads  nor  on  their  bodies.  And  yet  they  do  carry  vermin  in  their 
souls,  crawling  and  creeping  all  over  them.  ...  It  is  high  time 
that  men  should  learn  to  discriminate,  and  hate  these  feculent 
vices  of  detraction,  and  bitterness,  and  envy,  and  jealousy  —  all 
those  elements  which  spring  from  the  lower  regions,  and  which 
are  of  the  evil  spirit.' 

'  If  thou  hast  aught  against  thy  brother,  or  if  thy  brother  tres- 


288  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

pass  against  thee,'  said  Jesus,  'go  and  tell  him  the  fault  between 
him  and  thee  alone.'  But  the  modern  method,  especially  with 
those  occupying  '  damaged  social  positions,'  is  generally  this :  if 
thou  hast,  or  if  thou  hast  heard  aught  against  thy  brother  or  thy 
sister-worker,  or  thy  peer  in  mediumistic  gifts,  do  not  suspend 
judgment  —  do  not  wait  to  hear  the  other  side  of  the  matter,  but 
run  with  the  putrid  tidbit  to  others;  run,  exaggerating  and  scat- 
tering the  slime  as  you  go ;  run,  magnifying  the  somber-hued 
shadow  into  a  black  crow  ;  ay,  into  even  three  black  crows ;  run, 
richly  and  deservedly  earning  the  Carlylean  plaudit,  'Ye  are  one 
of  my  jewels,  saith  the  Devil ! ' 

Persecutions,  though  depressing  for  the  moment,  really  harm 
no  one;  while  all  slanderous  javelins,  ultimately  rebounding, 
pierce  those  that  hurled  them.  '  So  long  as  all  that  is  said,  is 
said  against  me,'  says  Emerson,  '  I  am  sure  of  success.'  '  Peraiit 
a  touch  of  autobiography,'  writes  A.  J.  Davis  in  the  Harbinger 
of  Light; 

*  For  years  upon  years,  I,  myself,  was  made  the  special  target 
for  every  marksman  with  shot-gun  and  bow  and  arrow.  It  would 
be  impolite,  not  to  say  profane  and  vulgar,  to  put  in  print  the 
stories  which  refined  and  wealthy  church  members,  including  very 
respectable  ministers,  privately  and  publicly  circulated  against 
me.  I  was  reported  and  denounced  as  the  walking  embodiment 
of  all  that  was  vile  and  satanic' 

And  yet,  A.  J.  Davis  lives,  esteemed  and  honored ;  lives,  a  fine 
exemplification  of  the  true  harmonial  man  !  But  where,  tohere 
are  those  accusers  ? 

Joaquin  Miller,  when  traduced  in  private  and  public,  preached 
a  sensible  sermon  in  the  following  song  : 


Is  it  worth  while  to  jostle  a  brother, 
Bearing  his  load  on  the  rough  road  of  life  ? 

Is  it  worth  while  that  we  jeer  at  each  other 
In  blackness  of  heart  —  that  we  war  to  the  knife  ? 
God  pity  us  all  in  our  pitiful  strife. 

God  pity  us  all  1  we  jostle  each  other  ; 

God  pardon  us  all  for  the  triumph  we  feel, 
When  a  fellow  goes  down  'neath  his  load  on  the  heather, 

Pierced  to  the  heart ;  words  are  keener  than  steel, 

And  mightier  for  woe  or  weal. 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  289 

"Were  it  not  "well,  in  this  brief  little  journey 

On  over  the  Isthmus,  down  into  the  tide, 
"We  give  liim  a  fish  instead  of  a  serpent, 

E'er  folding  the  hand,  to  be  and  abide 

Forever  and  aye  in  dust  at  his  side  1 

Look  at  the  roses  saluting  each  other ; 

Look  at  the  herds,  all  in  peace  on  the  plain  ; 
Man,  and  man  only,  makes  war  on  his  brother. 

And  laughs  in  his  heart  at  his  peril  and  pain  ; 

Shamed  by  the  beasts  that  go  down  on  the  plain, 

Is  it  worth  while,  that  we  battle  to  humble 

Some  poor  fellow-soldier  down  into  the  dust  ? 
God  pity  us  all  I    Time  oft  soon  will  tumble 

All  of  us  together,  like  leaves  in  a  gust. 

Humbled  indeed,  down  into  the  dust. 


Are  you  in  favor  of  organization  among  Spiritualists  ? 

I  am,  and  ever  have  been,  in  favor  of  organization.  A  man's 
creed  is  what  he  believes  ;  and  a  man  without  any  belief  is  next  to  a 
nonentity.  Our  Republic,  our  State  governments,  our  village  cor- 
porations, our  school  districts,  our  families,  are  organizations. 
Demolition,  disintegration,  burning  down  buildings,  leaving  the 
inmates  without  shelter  :  these  are  not  the  highest  employments. 
Construction,  re-construction,  and  broad,  healthy  organizations, 
are  among  the  demands  of  the  age.,, 

J.  M.  Peebles. 


« There  are  few  men  who  dare  stand  alone,  or  nearly  alone,  in 
the  fore-front  of  battle  for  the  truth.  It  is  great  valor  onlr 
that  will  carry  forward  its  colors  in  the  face  of  the  enemy,  and  see 
one's  own  battalions,  unequal  to  the  conflict,  falling  far  behind.. 
The  crucial  test  is  faith  in  your  own  conviction  when  others  falter 
and  fail ;  few  men  can  stand  that.  It  is  common  enough  to  be 
behind  your  age,  and  be  called  conservative.  Conservatism  is 
highly  respectable,  and  you  have  plenty  of  company;  but  to  stand 
a  century  before  your  age,  or  fifty  years  before  it,  for  that  matter, 
is  a  trial  endured  only  by  men  whom  God  has  made  for  such 
work,  ordained  to  be  reformers.  We  find  such  in  every  age,  because- 
every  age  has  need  of  their  services." 


290  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

TVe  will  next  invite  the  readei-'s  attention  to  a  few  facts  con- 
cerning Eomanism,  by  introducing  some  extracts  from  "  Secrets 
of  the  Convent  and  Confessional,"  by  Mrs.  Julia  M'Nair  Wright; 
also  the  introduction,  to  said  work,  by  Eev.  Daniel  March.  DA). 

"  Watch  the  Jesuits,  to  prevent  the  robbery  of  your  families, 
the  moral  assassination  of  your  sons  and  daughters.  0,  good 
Americans,  do  you  suppose  they  are  working  for  the  American 
nation,  the  American  glory?  They  work  for  themselves  and  Eome 
alone." 

Gavazzi. 

"  In  this  free  and  enlightened  land  of  ours  then  is  an  organi- 
zation which  takes  a  sacred  name,  and  assumes  to  speak  for  God 
to  the  people ;  and  yet,  in  spirit,  it  is  directly  hostile  to  our  most 
cherished  institutions,  and  its  one  persistent  study,  purpose,  and 
effort,  is  to  undermine  the  foundations  of  our  Republic,  and  set 
up  the  throne  of  despotism  upon  the  ruin  of  our  liberties.  It 
must  needs  be  watched  with  a  vigilant  eye,  and  restrained  with  a 
strong  hand,  or  it  will  accomplish  its  purpose  while  the  guardians 
of  the  public  welfare  suspect  no  danger.  It  is  foreign  in  its  origin, 
secret  and  subtile  in  its  policy,  pious  and  pitiful  in  tone,  and  yet 
it  is  ever  intent  upon  a  deep-laid  and  remorseless  conspiracy 
against  the  sacred  rights  and  the  blood-bought  privileges  of  the 
American  people.  It  is  the  more  dangerous  because  it  numbers 
good  men  among  its  supporters  and  apologists,  and  it  speaks  the 
language  of  liberty  and  enlightenment  while  plotting  the  subjec- 
tion of  the  people  to  ignorance,  superstition  and  bondage. 

It  is  an  organization  of  vast  extent  and  mighty  power,  number- 
ing millions  of  members,  and  more  millions  of  money  :  and  all  its 
resources  are  subject  to  the  control  of  an  irresponsible  despot, 
whose  home  is  in  a  foreign  land,  and  who  hates  republican  insti- 
tutions with  a  perfect  hatred.  That  one  man  acknowledges  no 
allegiance  to  the  laws  of  our  land,  no  obligation  to  regard  the 
demands  of  truth  and  justice,  any  farther  tlian  may  be  for  his 
advantage ;  and  he  claims  the  right  to  extend  the  same  immunity 
to  whomsoever  he  may  please.  He  can  make  it  right  for  men  to 
do  wrong,  and  wrong  for  men  to  do  right ;  he  can  make  falsehood 
the  handmaid  of  truth,  and  clothe  truth  in  the  garments  of  false- 
hood, and  from  his  decision  there  can  be  no  appeal ;  the  code  of 
morality  by  which  his  adherents  are  governed,  makes  a  merit  of 


THE    UNSEALED    BOOK.  291 

deception,  adorns  the  transgression  of  natural  laws  with  names  of 
yirtue,  and  gives  holy  garments  to  the  guilty  as  a  cover  from 
crime. 

The  members  of  this  dark  and  dreadful  conclave  are  sworn  to  use 
the  sacred  right  of  citizenship  in  every  possible  way,  to  establish 
in  this  country  a  despotism  which  holds  reason  and  conscience, 
body  and  soul,  in  abject  and  hopeless  bondage ;  they  know  noth- 
ing of  home  :  they  make  a  merit  of  abjuring  all  the  sacred  rela- 
tions of  the  family,  and  yet  they  claim  the  right  to  come  between 
the  husband  and  the  wife,  the  parent  and  the  child,  and  to  pre- 
scribe laws  that  invade  the  privacy  of  every  household,  and  over- 
rule the  dictates  of  humanity  and  affection  in  every  family.  They 
claim  for  their  organization  immaculate  purity,  divine  enlighten- 
ment, an  infallible  wisdom,  and  yet  they  ascribe  divine  honors  to 
profligates,  and  act  upon  a  policy  that  originated  in  the  dark  ages  : 
and  they  put  forth  all  their  power  to  hold  the  world  in  subjection 
to  the  shams  of  hypocrisy,  and  the  shadows  of  superstition  ;  they 
secure  large  appropriations  of  public  money  for  support  of  insti- 
tutions, which  they  manage  with  dark  and  suspicious  secrecy, 
giving  no  account  of  funds  received,  shutting  out  the  public  and 
shutting  in  the  inmates  Avith  barred  doors  and  bolted  windows. 
They  say  that  the  supreme  control  of  education  in  the  family, 
and  the  school,  belongs  of  right  to  them :  and  yet  they  forbid  his- 
tory to  tell  its  plain  unvarnished  tale  to  our  children;  they  burn 
the  Book  which  our  fathers  brought  to  this  country,  as  the  divine 
charter  of  our  liberties ;  they  belittle  the  mind,  and  degrade  the 
manhood  of  their  pupils  with  senseless  ceremonies  and  petty  tyr- 
anny, and  they  send  them  forth  to  the  world  without  ever  having 
taught  them  the  noble  lessons  of  manliness,  truthfulness,  and 
patriotism. 

This  book  is  designed  to  reveal  the  mischief  and  the  mystery 
of  this  dark  and  dangerous  organization  to  the  eyes  of  the  Amer- 
ican people.  It  is  written  by  one  who  knows ;  a  thin  veil  of  lic- 
tion  is  cast  upon  the  face  of  the  monster,  lest  all  should  turn 
from  the  hideous  reality  and  refuse  to  gaze.  The  fiction  is  fact, 
and  the  facts  at  the  close  arc  stranger  than  the  fiction.  Whoso 
readeth,  let  him  understand. 

Daniel  Mauch. 

Pbiladelfuia,  April,  1872. 


292  THE    UNSEALED   BOOK. 

"  On,  on,  in  the  still  night  sails  the  ship  of  Rome,  the  Jesuits 
at  the  helm.  Iler  freight  is  human  souls,  crowding  her  decks  and 
gangways  and  cabins  by  the  million ;  ropes  of  sand  her  cordage ; 
rotten  her  sails ;  her  lading,  secrets  black  as  hell,  and  siglis,  and 
tears,  and  crimes,  which  make  the  devils  shriek  with  joy:  human 
tradition  her  erring  compass,  she  steers  along  over  dangerous 
seas  for  what  full  many  lorn  spirits  aboard  of  her  think  the  shin- 
ing celestial  gate,  but  which  is  indeed  the  lurid  mouth  of  the  pit. 
And  so  at  last  is  she  doomed  to  make  her  port  in  perdition ! 

'  The  first  dream  is  balmy  and  bright. 
The  next  dream  is  mellow  in  light, 
The  third  dream  is  dim  to  the  sight  — 
And  it  stretcheth  away  into  gloomy  night.' 

Is  Eomanism  well  enough  for  those  that  believe  it  ?  Is  the 
man  doing  well  enough  if  he  only  lives  up  to  his  doctrines  ? 

By  no  means.  The  nearer  he  keeps  to  his  doctrines,  the  worse 
the  man.  Eomish  doctrines  are  immoral ;  they  are  the  antipodes 
of  the  decalogue.  The  best  men  in  their  church  are  those  who 
hold  most  loosely  her  tenets.  Eomanism  partakes  of  every  error 
under  heaven.  Eomanists  are  atheists  when  they  avouch  the  in- 
infallibility  of  Leo  Tenth,  who  cried,  '  0,  how  profitable  has  this 
fable  of  Jesus  been  to  us ! '  They  are  deists  in  denying  the  su- 
preme authority  of  a  revelation;  Mohammedans  in  extending 
their  Church  by  fire  and  sword;  heathens  in  their  worship  of 
images.  When  atheists,  deists,  Mohammedans  and  pagans  are 
right,  Eomanists  will  be  right  —  never  before. '  What  is  their 
morality  ?  It  is  this :  that  a  man  may  live  an  adulterer  for  twelve 
shillings  sixpence;  he  may  murder  a  layman  for  seven  shillings 
sixpence.  He  may,  by  papal  pardon,  be  discharged  from  obedi- 
ence to  God,  says  Bellarmine.  A  true  Catholic,  living  up  to  his 
Church's  doctrines,  must  be  an  Idolater  (in  the  Mass  and  in  im- 
age worship) ;  he  must  be  persecutor,  believing  that  the  rights  of 
heretics  and  individuals  are  not  to  be  respected;  he  must  be  a 
traitor,  holding  the  Pope's  will  superior  to  civil  law,  an  opinion 
which  Vattel,  in  his  Law  of  Nations,  tells  us  is  'equally  contrary 
to  the  law  of  nations  and  the  principles  of  common  policy ' ;  he 
must  feel  it  needful  to  break  the  ten  commandments  for  expedi- 
ency's sake ;  and  yet  in  the  face  of  all  this,  we  are  obliged  to  ac- 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  293 

cept  him  as  a  good  Christian.  All  the  men  of  that  communion 
are  not  idolaters,  persecutors,  traitors,  and  immoral ;  but  it  is  be- 
cause they  are  better  than  their  religion,  and  have  not  learned 
these,  its  depths  of  Satan. 

That  doctrine  of  celibacy  is  the  curse  as  it  is  the  article  of  Eome. 
Their  own  authors  have  said  that  if  you  sweep  away  the  celibacy 
of  the  clergy,  you  destroy  the  Confessional;  and  when  the  Con- 
fessional has  perished,  the  power  of  Eome  is  annihilated.  Cardi- 
nal Eodolf  and  others,  as  Paolo,  have  argued  that  in  sacerdotal 
celibacy  is  the  foundation  of  the  supremacy  of  the  Pope.  Mar- 
riage connects  men  to  their  civil  rulers  and  their  native  land. 
Celibacy  transfers  their  religion  to  the  Popedom. 

Your  Church  forces  men  into  an  unnatural  mode  of  life  ;  they 
take  their  vows  at  an  early  age,  when  they  do  not  apprehend  their 
own  character;  they  may  find,  after  a  time,  that  they  have  as- 
sumed obligations  wliich  it  is  impossible  for  them  to  keep,  and 
their  Church  also  furnishes  opportunities  unlimited  for  trampling 
on  these  obligations.  My  charge  against  you  lies  here :  Your 
Church  condemns  her  priest  to  an  unnatural  form  of  existence  ; 
she  puts  temptation  in  his  way,  and  says  if  he  falls,  est  vcniale  ; 
therefore  we  charge  your  Church  with  the  sins  of  her  priesthood. 

Immorality  in  the  Eoman  Church  commenced  with  her  con- 
fessors. The  confessional  is  to  the  young,  unmarried  priest  a  sug- 
gestor  of  impurities;  there  he  contracts  the  stain;  outward  from 
the  confessional  it  travels,  until  it  is  scattered  over  every  hearth, 
met  in  every  cross-way. 

But  the  Popish  Church  has  her  particular  code  of  morality, 
what  is  called  '  Moral  Theology,'  and  that,  in  brief,  is  the  word  of 
man  substituted  for  the  law  of  God.  I  can  not  now  quote  all  the 
immoralities  allowed  by  this  code,  but,  as  an  instance,  it  allows 
lies,  swearing  under  mental  reservation,  perjur}',  to  deceive 
onr  brtehren  for  a  good  end.  It  allows  all  manner  of  deceit  under 
this  pretext :  for  example,  to  appear  a  Protestant,  among  Protes- 
tants, though  really  a  Eoman  Catholic.  For  purposes  of  conver- 
sion this  is  permitted;  sometimes  it  is  obligatory.  One  great 
maxim  of  this  Moral  Theology  is,  that  a  man  may  do  evil  if  he 
hope  good  shall  result  from  it ;  and  another  (the  great  Jesuitical 
secret)  is,  that  the  end  sanctifies  the  means.  Therefore,  if  for 
the  spread  of  the  Gospel  it  were  judged  necessary  to  kill  the  hon- 
orable President,  Senate,  and  Eeiirescntatives  of  the  United  States, 


294  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

these  horrible  crimes  find  their  full  justification  in  this  most 
Moral  Theology. 

I  cannot,  according  to  my  promise,  clearly  speak  here  of  the 
effect  on  the  confessor  himself,  because  that  effect  is  to  make  him 
most  immoral:  that  is  the  natural  effect;  if  he  remains  moral, 
this  is  an  exception.  A  young  man  becomes  a  priest :  at  twenty-five 
he  may  be  a  parish  priest  in  a  country  place ;  there  is  prob- 
ably no  other  confessor,  and  in  a  few  months  he  becomes  absolute 
master  of  his  parishioners.  He  is  no  Sampson,  and  even  if  he 
were,  Sampson  was  tempted  by  Delilah.  What  becomes  of  him? 
Does  confession  make  him  immoral  ?  '  0  no  ! '  answer  Catholics, 
'because  we  have  from  the  Bible,  To  the  pure  all  things  are  pure.' 
Are  they  pure  ?  Take  firstly  the  practice  of  the  confessional  as  it 
is  seen  in  the  Churches,  and  tell  me  if  there  be  public  light  of 
purity  ?  to  say  nothing  about  confessors,  when  they  go  to  confess 
young  ladies,  not  always  on  their  dying  beds,  but  always  with  the 
greatest  mystery;  to  say  nothing  about  confessors  who  confess 
women  in  their  own  clerical  rooms,  where  there  are  no  spies  or 
visitors  ;  to  say  nothing  about  confessors  who  have  in  their 
churches  some  secret  little  cabinet  forprivileged  female  penitents. 
I  have  gone  to  a  mass-house,  and  could  not  enter  it,  for  outside, 
kneeling,  lolling,  or  lounging  about  the  doors,  was  a  legion  of 
Irishmen,  devoted  guards  of  this  temple  during  service,  which 
they  prefer  to  assist  from  outside  ;  so  that  there  was  no  entering 
for  any  one. 

Lastly,  the  confessor  is  a  holy  man  I  Well,  I  do  not  deny  that ; 
but  he  is  always  a  man.  To  evade  the  charge  of  exaggeration  on 
this  point,  take,  for  example,  the  last  period  of  France.  In  less 
than  ten  years  we  find  more  than  twenty-four  trials  of  priests,  all 
confessors,  many  of  them  parish  priests,  guilty  of  immorality,  se- 
duction, poisoning,  murder,  assassination ;  and,  on  their  trials, 
they  clearly  stated  that  the  beginning  of  the  passion  was  in  the 
confessional.  I  speak  of  twenty-four  trials,  all  for  immoralities, 
seduction  of  girls  and  young  wives,  of  all  which  the  seed  was 
sown  in  the  confessional.  Therefore,  it  is  immoral  in  its  effects ; 
ruinous,  first  to  the  priest  himself,  then  to  the  families. 

"  A  Priesfs  Opi7iion  of  the  Cojifessional. —  Before  I  go  any  fur- 
ther, I  must  confess,  before  God  and  men,  with  a  blush  on  my  face, 
and  regret  in  my  heart,  that  I  have  been,  like  you  and  with  you, 
plunged  twenty-three  years  in  that  bottomless  sea  of  iniquity, 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  295 

througli  whicli  the  poor  blind  priests  of  Rome  have  to  swim  day 
and  night. 

I  had  to  learn  by  heart,  like  you,  the  infamous  questions  which 
the  Church  of  Eome  forces  every  priest  to  learn.  I  had  to  put 
those  impure,  Immoral  questions  to  the  old  and  yoimg  females 
who  were  confessing  their  sins  to  me.  Those  questions,  you 
know  it,  are  of  such  a  nature,  that  no  prostitute  would-  dare 
put  them  to  another!  Those  questions,  and  the  answers  they 
elicit,  are  so  debasing  that  no  man  in  Loudon,  you  know  it,  ex- 
cept a  priest  of  Rome,  is  suflBciently  lost  to  every  nerve  of  shame 
as  to  put  them  to  any  woman. 

I  was  bound  in  conscience,  as  you  are  bound  to-day,  to  put  into 
the  ears,  tlie  mind,  the  imagination,  the  heart,  and  the  soul  of 
females,  questions  of  such  a  nature,  the  immediate  and  direct 
tendency  of  which,  you  know  it,  is  to  fill  the  mind,  the  memory, 
and  the  hearts  of  both  priests  and  females  with  thoughts,  phan- 
toms and  temptations  of  such  a  degrading  nature,  that  I  do  not 
know  any  words  adequate  to  express  them.  Pagan  antiquity  has 
never  seen  any  institution  so  polluting  to  both  soul  and  body  as 
the  confessional.  I  know  nothing  more  corrupting  than  the  law 
which  forces  a  female  to  tell  all  her  thoughts,  desires,  and  most 
secret  feelings  and  actions  to  an  unmarried  priest.  The  confes- 
sional is  a  school  of  perdition.  You  may  deny  that  before  the 
Protestants,  but  you  cannot  deny  it  before  me. 

My  dear  Mr.  Brazere,  if  you  call  me  a  degraded  man,  a  de- 
graded priest,  because  I  have  lived  twenty-three  years  in  the  at- 
mosphere of  the  confessional,  you  are  right.  I  was  a  degraded 
man,  just  as  you  are  yourself,  in  spite  of  your  denials.  If  you 
call  me  a  degraded  priest,  because  my  heart,  my  soul,  mind,  as 
your  own  are  to-day,  were  plunged  into  those  deep  waters  of  in- 
iquity which  flow  from  the  confessional,  I  confess  'guilty!'  I 
was  degraded  and  polluted  by  the  confessional,  just  as  you  and 
all  of  the  priests  of  Rome  are.  "  Chiniquy's  Letter  to  Mr.  Brazere, 
Montreal,  1871. 

For  example  we  cite  the  following  touching  conversation  be- 
tween mother  and  daughter,  the  latter  having  been  betrayed  by  a 
priest  who  really  loved  her,  and  after  years  of  mental  anguish, 
resigned  his  priesthood,  and  made  for  her  and  their  child  a  happy 
home. 


296  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

"Nell  entered  the  little  room,  once  so  bright  and  love-full; 
now  she  was  bringing  it  a  shadow  which  should  rest  upon  it 
for  evermore. 

*0,  darling,  how  pale  and  worn  you  look!'  This  was  her 
mother's  greeting. 

Nell  threw  herself  on  the  bed  and  turned  her  face  to  the  wall. 

'  Are  you  sick,  my  precious  ?  '  asked  the  mother,  dropping  her 
work  and  bending  over  her  idol. 

'  Sick,  mother,  sick  at  heart,'  said  the  girl,  with  a  quick  sob. 

'Nell,  Nell  dearest,  what  troubles  you  ?  ' 

*  Mother,'  said  Nell,  growing  wonderfully  calm,  and  speaking 
clearly,  with  her  face  still  turned  away,  '  sit  down  here  on  the  bed, 
but  do  not  touch  me  mother,  only  answer  me.  If  one  does  wrong, 
shall  they  live  and  break  hearts  that  love  them,  or  shall  they  drop 
down  in  some  deep  river  and  hide  their  own  wretchedness  ?' 

Mrs.  I felt  as  if  a  sudden  cold  wind  blew  across  her,  and 

sent  back  her  blood  in  a  chill  current  to  her  heart ;  she  faltered, 
'  Whatever  they  do,  they  must  take  life  as  God's  mercy ;  live  and 
repent.' 

'  If  I  become  no  longer  your  comfort,  but  your  curse,  mother, 
should  I  go  and  hide  myself  somewhere  where  you  would  be  bur- 
dened by  me  no  more,  or  should  I  stay  with  you  still?  "Which 
would  be  easiest  for  you,  my  poor  mother  ? ' 

'  Whatever  happened,  or  could  happen,  you  should  stay  with  me, 

my  child,  my  beloved,'  said  Mrs.  I ,  huskily.     But  now  her 

hands  lay  rigid  in  her  lap,  and  the  blood  around  her  heart  was 
freezing  very  fast;  her  pulses  scarcely  stirred. 

'If  one,'  said  Nell,  her  voice  growing  hard  now,  'one  whom  you 
thought  an  angel,  a  glorious  saint,  one  who  was  your  guide  and 
counsellor,  whom  you  never  doubted,  never  questioned,  always 
obeyed  as  bound  to  obey,  led  you  into  evil,  and  then,  when  you 
came  to  rouse  up,  and  see  that  what  you  had  been  told  to  be  right 
was  wrong,  and  that  sin  is  sin,  whoever  says  not,  cried  Nell, 
fiercel}^,  '  then,  then  after  that  if  he  said  to  you.  There  are  sister- 
hoods where  you  can  go  in  and  never  come  out,  only  you  must 
not  let  your  mother  know ;  if  he  bid  you  so  deceive,  and  leave 
to  doubt  and  misery  the  mother  who  had  been  your  one  true 
friend  in  all  the  world ;  if  he  even  got  to  saying,  it  was  better  to 
drop  down  into  the  river,  and  he  would  buy  your  masses  :  then, 
mother,  could  you  believe  him  or  think  he  was  good  f  orevermore  ?  * 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  297 

The  summer  day  was  warm  and  bright,  but  Mrs.  I no 

longer  felt  as  if  she  had  part  in  the  sunny  stir  of  life  about  her ; 
she  had  gone  suddenly  down  into  a  dark  and  loathsome  crypt,  and 
found  all  her  love,  her  hope,  her  peace,  her  future,  buried  there. 
She  was  far  away  from  human  sympathy  and  helping ;  all  seemed 
darkness  and  isolation  :  then  a  blessed  insensibility  was  stealing 
over  her:  might  she  be  lost  to  the  world  even  for  a  little  time  ? 
But  no,  the  one  voice  that  had  power  over  her,  the  wailing  voice 
of  her  child,  reached  her. 

*  Mother!  what  shall  I  do  ?  ' 

*  Trust  only  me,  your  mother,  my  poor  child.' 

*  Can  you  care  for  me  any  more,  for  me  being  now  only  a  shame 
and  a  curse  and  a  burden  to  you  ?  But  mother,  mother,  you  told 
me  every  day  how  good  he  was ;  you  bid  me  trust  him  and  obey 
him ;  you  called  him  our  best  friend,  our  benefactor,  for  whom 
no  gratitude  of  our  hearts  was  enough.  0  mother,  do  you  under- 
stand me  ?  Do  you  see  all  the  misery  that  is  past  and  is  to  come, 
more  than  all  the  dark  days  before  he  helped  us  ? ' 

For  one  wild  instant  the  widow  felt  as  if  she  must  cry  out  to 
God  to  let  her  die,  to  take  her  from  a  world  that  held  for  her  no 
further  good;  but  the  thought  of  her  unhappy  daughter  who 
now  needed  her  more  than  ever  she  had  done  since  she  la}^  a 
new-born  infant  at  her  breast,  checked  the  despairing  petition. 
To  know  her  child's  life  blighted,  ruined,  would  surely  be  misery 

enough  ;  but  to  Mrs.  I came  the  added  sting  that  ail  her  faith 

in  humanity  Avas  crushed,  that  almost  her  faith  in  heaven  was 
destroyed.  Gratitude,  reverence,  devotion  had  been  poured  forth 
at  the  feet  of  this  man  who  had  appeared,  in  the  best  sense,  her 
friend  and  guide,  and  he  had  proved  false ;  he  had  given  her  ma- 
terial help  and  comfort,  but  he  had  plundered  her  of  her  one 
treasure,  her  one  consolation.  He  had  destroyed  her  dearer  life ; 
he  had  blackened  her  honest  name;  he  had  done  this  in  the 
guise  of  a  religious  instructor!  " 

And  what  says  the  holy  bishop  to  whom  he  must  needs  con- 
fess his  crime  ? 

"'My  son,  you  have  deeply  pained  me.  Did  I  not  warn  you 
one  day  last  winter  ?  Have  I  not  set  before  you  the  dignity  and 
beauty  of  self-control?  Have  you  never  learned  that  he  who 
denies  himself  for  the  Church's  sake  in  this  present  life  shall  re- 
ceive tenfold  more  in  the  life  to  come  ?    Are  you  of  those  who 


298  THE  UNSEALED  BOOK. 

have  deliberately  counted  the  cost,  and  resolved  to  seize  what  you 
could  in  this  world  and  give  up  the  future  glory  ? ' 

The  reverend  bishop  paused.  He  grew  deadly  pale,  grasped 
the  back  of  a  chair  to  steady  himself,  and,  with  a  strong  effort, 
continued  his  speech.  TJzzah  thoughtlessly  laid  polluting  hand 
on  the  sacred  ark,  and  died.  Bishop  Otto,  trembling  at  his  sac- 
rilege, but  deliberate  in  it,  now  rebuked  his  priest  from  the  word 
of  God,  which  word  should  have  smitten  his  daring  lips  with  palsy. 

'  Wboso  causeth  one  of  these  little  ones  to  offend,  it  were  better 
for  him  that  a  mill-stone  were  hanged  about  his  neck,  and  he 
were  cast  into  the  depths  of  the  sea.  There  are  others  that  may 
talk  to  you  of  expediency,  Mr.  French ;  I  tell  you  what  I  know  to 
be  right ;  I  preach  to  you  virtue  and  religion.' 

*  And  you  practise  it  in  your  life ! '  cried  Father  French,  with 
the  ardor  of  sincere  conviction. 

'  And  I  practise  it  in  my  life,'  repeated  the  bishop,  with  that 
little  tremor  again.  '  And  if  I  can  so  practise,  why  cannot  you  ? 
Behold  the  example  that  I  set  you.' 

The  bishop  drew  himself  up,  and  stood  beautiful  and  impres- 
sive as  when  he  stood  in  the  pulpit,  and  saints  and  heretics 
flocked  to  hear  his  sermon,  and  cried  out,  '  How  holy  a  man  is 
Bishop  Otto!' 

'  Like  Paul,  I  need  not  commend  myself  to  you,  but  bear  with 
me  a  little  in  my  folly.  I  boast  not  myself  in  things  beyond  our 
measure;  receive  my  example;  I  have  wronged  no  man;  I  am 
known  as  not  behind  the  very  chiefest  of  the  prelates  of  our 
Church  in  labor  and  example.  Do  not  wonder  that  the  Church 
puts  on  her  ministers  such  abundant  glory,  for  it  is  needful  when 
Satan  transforms  his  emissaries  to  angels  of  light.  Be  such  an 
one  as  I  have  been;  what  is  possible  to  me  is  possible  to  you.  I 
do  not  condemn  you.  Let  this  pain  of  the  present  be  the  lesson 
of  the  future.    Go,  and  sin  no  more.' 

It  was  thus  that  Bishop  Otto  rebuked,  exhorted  and  pardoned 
Father  French." 

Afterward,  fearing  he  would  be  unable  to  withstand  tempta- 
tion, or  even  worse  —  leave  the  Church  — 

"  The  bishop  sent  for  Priest  French,  and  with  the  suavity  of 
one  conferring  a  great  and  unexpected  favor,  informed  him  of  a 
projected  mission  to  Rome.  In  vain  did  Father  French  plead 
that  he  was  greatly  needed  at  Visitation ;  that  Father  Perry  cov- 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  299 

eted  the  place  now  offered  to  himself ;  that  his  own  health  was 
infirm,  and  he  dreaded  fatigue  and  a  change  of  climate.  All  was 
useless;  with  an  amiable  persistency  that  nothing  could  counter- 
vail, Bishop  Otto  expressed  his  fixed  resolve  to  send  the  envoy  of 
his  choice.  Father  French  was  not  prepared  at  once  to  defy  his 
superior;  the  chains  of  habit  were  firmly  upon  him;  he  must 
have  time  to  consider,  but  this  he  did  not  indicate;  he  only 
avowed  his  respect,  his  obedience  and  his  gratitude,  and  with- 
drew. He  needed  a  counsellor,  and  to  whom  could  he  turn  but 
to  the  Abbess  Catharine? 

To  the  Convent  of  the  Holy  Family,  therefore,  our  Priest  bent 
his  steps.  In  the  Convent,  favored,  as  usual,  with  a  private  inter- 
view, he  unfolded  his  troubles  and  the  plottings  of  bishop  and 
priest  to  his  sacred  sister. 

*  Well,  it  would  be  a  pleasant  trip,'  said  Catharine  ;  '  I  enjo3^ed 
my  mission  to  Rome  wonderfully  well.  Saw  many  of  the  cardi- 
nals, bishops  and  vicars-general,  and  was  magnificently  enter- 
tained.' 

*  I  cannot  go,'  said  French,  impatiently.  '  I  tell  you,  abbess, 
I  am  so  bound  to  this  city  that  I  cannot  leave  it.' 

The  abbess  raised  her  eyebrows,  '  The  golden  hair — ' 
French  flushed.     '  Yes,  yes,  I  tell  you,  I  cannot  go.' 
'  Truly,  I  am  ashamed  of  you,  Louis,'  said  Catharine  Illuminata. 
'  I  swear  to  you,'  cried  French,  '  that  I  have  never  seen  one  of 
them,  except  her,  by  accident,  and  then  I  did  not  speak.     I  have 
been  careful,  my  sister ;  but  I  feel  that  being  here,  I  may  shield 
those  innocent  unfortunates  from  some  trouble,  and'  —  looking 
still  more  embarrassed  —  'I  mav  be  able  to  do  something  for  him 
when  he  grows.' 
*Eh?    Yonv  7iephetv?'  said  the  abbess,  with  emphasis 
*My  nepheiv,'  replied  French.     'As  I  said,  I  cannot  go;  and 
how  avoid  it  ? ' 

'Go,'  said  Catharine;  'it  will  not  take  you  long;  a  year  will 
bring  you  back,  my  friend ;  and  while  you  are  gone  I  will  take 
j'our  place  in  caring,  at  a  distance  and  in  secret,  for  those  people ; 
I  will  be  kind  to  them.  You  may  trust  me,  Louis;  indeed  I  will 
be  truly  kind.' 

'  Catharine,'  said  French,  in  a  voice  of  agony,  '  I  tell  you,  if  I  go 
I  shall  never  come  back.  You  know  how  it  is ;  I  may  go  with 
commendations  and  instructions  in  my  pocket,  but  following  me 


300  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

by  secret  means  "will  go  condemnations  and  other  instructions ; 
and  my  life  may  go  out  in  darkness.  How  many  have  you  and  I 
known  of  clerics  and  of  seculars,  of  priests  and  of  sisters,  who 
have,  as  the  dying,  travelled  to  a  bourne  whence  there  is  no  re- 
turn ! ' 

'  But  they  had  enemies,  Louis.' 

'And  who  can  be  sure  that  he  has  no  enemies?  Besides,  it  is 
not  only  enmity  that  does  it,  but  a  man  may  be  suspected  of 
being  unsettled.  How  many  of  my  brother  priests  in  the  city 
may  aspire  to  my  position  ?  some  woman,  revered,  may  have  filled 
the  bishop's  ear  with  calumnies;  Otto  may  consider  me  aspiring, 
though  heaven  knows  I  do  not  covet  his  place.  I  tell  you,  Cath- 
arine, I  can  not  go ;  for  if  I  do,  I  shall  never  return.' 

'  Then  indeed  you  must  not  go,  Louis,'  said  the  Superior.* 

*  Catharine,  help  me ' !  pleaded  the  distracted  priest. 

In  the  first  part  of  the  interview,  the  Superior  had  been  the 
indolent,  capricious,  admiration-demanding,  coquette  ;  she  had 
changed  to  a  kindly  earnest  woman ;  now  suddenly  this  chameleon 
character  exhibited  a  new  feature:  she  glowed  with  keenness,  craft, 
and  subtile  power ;  a  Pythoness  of  Eome ! 

'  If  you  choose  a  physician,  my  brother,  you  must  take  his  pre- 
scriptions.' 

'  I  rely  upon  you,'  said  Father  French. 

'  Go  to-morrow  to  Bishop  Otto,  and  tell  him,  that  having  consid- 
ered, you  see  that  your  church  will,  in  your  absence,  thrive  under 
his  care ;  say  that  you  have  consulted  your  physician,  who  as- 
sures you  that  this  trip  will  benefit  your  health ;  express  your 
gratitude  for  the  distinction  proffered  you ;  tell  him  you  have  be- 
gun your  preparations,  and  will  at  any  moment  be  ready  to  start. 
In  three  days,  Louis,  you  must  be  taken  ill :  you  must  send  him 
word  that  you  hope  to  be  better ;  but  you  must  grow  worse :  you 
must  keep  your  bed  awhile,  your  room  awhile,  you  must  be  feeble. 
"While  this  goes  on,  if  the  mission  is  no  plot  against  you,  Otto  will 
send  some  one  else ;  and  besides,  we  shall  gain  time  to  influence 
the  Bishop,  restore  his  confidence  in  you,  and  outwit  Perry.' 

'A  good  plan ;  but  the  Bishop  will  be  suspicious,  and  if  I  plead 
sickness  he  will  wish  to  be  certain  that  I  am  sick.  I  must  have 
a  physician,  and  how  to  deceive  Mm  ?' 

Catharine,  smiling  a  confident,  superior  smile,  of  one  who 
glories  in  an  unmatched  cunning,  unlocked  an  escritoire,  and 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  301 

lazily  explored  its  contents.  She  drew  forth  a  small  vol- 
ume. 

'  We  must  find  you  a  disease,  my  brother,  and  you  must  learn 
its  symptoms :  we  will  select  one  to  fit  your  appearance :  you  are 
slender,  have  been  growing  thin :  you  shall  have  consumption, 
Louis,  and  indulge  in  a  hemorrhage  of  the  lungs.' 

'Catharine!' 

*It  is  easily  done.  I  had  one  myself,  of  the  same  Tcind,  when  I 
was  resolved  to  visit  the  Eternal  City,  and  our  Mother,  who  was 
then  Abbess,  had  objections;  my  life  being  very  important,  1 
gained  my  point.  But,  Louis,  none  of  the  sisterhood  can  outwit 
the  ^tre&ent  Abbess  of  the  Holy  Family.  To  proceed,  Louis,  your 
side  should  be  sore  and  painful,  and  you  can  simulate  that ;  the 
doctor  will  blister  you,  but  that  is  one  of  the  little  inconveniences 
you  must  submit  to,  to  gain  your  end;  blood  and  exhaustion  are 
the  grand  symptoms,  and  those  I  will  furnish  you  :  listen  and 
obey.  In  the  first  place,  here  are  some  leeches ;  take  them  home 
and  hide  them;  you  may  consider  it  nauseous  to  put  them  in 
your  mouth,  but  it  will  be  better  than  being  j9«^  oid  of  the  way 
yourself  at  the  holy  city,  eh?  Have  your  hemorrhage  at  night 
and  alone,  and  occasion  delays  about  getting  a  doctor :  send  also 
for  a  young  practitioner.  Having  taken  these  precautions,  pro- 
ceed thus  :  I  will  procure  you  a  bottle  of  bullock's  blood  ;  between 
the  leeches  and  the  blood  and  a  little  warm  water,  you  will  do 
very  well,  and  can  have  hemorrhages  to  order,  my  Louis.' 

Father  French  stood  as  one  transfixed.  He  was  a  priest,  there- 
fore ho  was  cunning;  but,  shades  of  the  double-tongued  Tyrians! 
how  ho  was  excelled  and  eclipsed  by  his  sister  nun  ! 

'The  exhaustion,'  said  Catharine  Illuminata,  'is  another  mat- 
ter; you  must  be  exhausted  in  proportion  to  your  loss  of  the  vital 
element,  and  in  that  you  must  be  your  own  judge,  Louis,  and  be 
careful.  I  can  tell  you  on  what  portion  of  medicine  to  begin ; 
increase  it  as  is  needful.' 

She  took  two  vials  from  her  escritoire  and  stood  before  him, 
one  in  each  hand ;  eyeing  the  bottles,  she  poured  from  one  into 
the  other  and  shook  them. 

Father  French  grew  a  shade  paler;  had  he  ever  given  the 
abbess  any  cause  of  offence  ?  How  completely  was  he  now  in  her 
hands  ;  how  magnificent,  how  lofty,  how  unscru])ulou3  she  looked, 
standing  there,  her  black  robes  only  setting  off  her  majestic  pro- 


302  THE    UNSEALED   BOOK. 

portions,  her  fairness,  her  beauty,  glorious  as  Lucifer's  when  he 
fell  from  heaven,  standing  with  what  might  be  death  in  either 
strong,  white,  cruel  hand !  ' 

'  What  is  that,  Catharine  ? '  asked  French. 

*  Digitalis  this,'  said  the  abbess,  holding  out  one  vial. 
*And  the  other?' 

*  A  secret,  Louis  ;  one  of  the  many  things  I  learned  by  careful 
study;  I  learned  it  in  Eome,  where  they  are  wise  in  hidden  arts. 
The  effect  of  these  potions  will  be  to  lower  your  pulse,  checking 
the  rapidity  of  the  circulation,  and  chilling  the  extremities.  As 
their  effects  leave  you,  you  will  apparently  regain  strength  after 
that  hemorrhage  and  revive.' 

*  Catharine,  you  are  going  to  deal  truly  with  me  ?  These  are 
dangerous  secrets,  and  here  I  put  my  life  under  your  feet.  What 
will  you  do  ? ' 

Catharine  dropped  her  hands  a  little,  lifted  her  proud  head, 
and  boldly  met  French's  eager  eye. 

*  Louis,  what  power  is  in  here,'  she  glanced  at  the  escritoire,  '  I 
will  not  say,  but  it  has  never  dealt  out  death,  and  shall  do  so 
least  of  all  to  you.  I  have  power  to  defend  myself,  power  to 
revenge  myself  ;  but  with  you,  Louis,  I  need  neither  the  one  nor 
the  other.  We  are  friends,  we  have  formed  a  coalition  ;  it  is  not 
for  my  advantage  to  lose  you  by  death  or  a  mission.  Perry  does 
not  like  me ;  the  bishop  is  no  warm  friend ;  what  are  my  sisters 
but  secret  foes  ?  You,  French,  bring  me  news  of  the  world ;  you 
help  me,  and  I  help,  am  now  helping,  you.     Trust  me.' 

For  answer  French  took  the  medicine  she  had  prepared  and 
put  the  vial  in  his  pocket. 

*  I  would  drink  it  now  if  you  chose,  Catharine.' 

*It  would  be  of  no  advantage.  Take  care  of  it,  of  all  that  I 
give  you ;  let  no  one  find  them.  The  remedies  supplied  you  by 
the  doctors  will  not  be  unpleasant  —  water,  lemons,  or  other  acids, 
and  so  on ;  those  you  can  take  ostentatiously,  and  throw  away 
others  unseen  of  any  one.  You  can  be  peevish  and  demand  agree- 
able medicines.  In  this  world,  Louis,  it  is  sound  policy  always 
to  get  the  best  you  can ;  always  to  escape  the  unpleasant.  I  regret 
the  blister  and  the  confinement,  but  those  are  inevitable.  I  shall 
be  distressed  on  your  account,  and  make  you  a  visit ;  I  wish  to  see 
what  kind  of  an  actor  you  are,  my  Louis.' 

A  word  spoken  in  reason,  how  good  it  is !    Catharine's  words 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  303 

were  not  like  apples  of  gold  in  pictures  of  silver,  but  they  were 
anchors  of  hope  to  which  Priest  French  clung  in  his  despair.  To 
hear  her  was  to  obey. 

According  to  orders  acted  Priest  French.  He  visited  the 
bishop;  he  dissimulated  ;  he  fell  ill  —  and  that  was  a  tremendous 
dissimulation  —  and  he  conducted  himself  in  all  particulars  so  as 
to  deceive  the  very  elect,  if  there  had  been  any  among  his  asso- 
ciates ! 

As  French  had  expected,  Bishop  Otto  no  sooner  heard  of  his 
illness  than  he  came  on  an  inquisitorial  visit  to  ascertain  whether 
there  was  any  sham  in  the  sickness  ;  as  Catharine  predicted,  he 
was  deeply  impressed  by  the  sufferings  and  danger  of  his  subor- 
dinate. 

From  Priest  French  Otto  went  to  the  House  of  the  Holy 
Family,  and  there  casually  informed  the  abbess  of  French's 
misfortunes. 

Catharine  sighed.  Mr.  French  was  in  here  the  other  evening, 
and  I  foretold  just  such  an  attack.  It  has  been  coming  upon  him 
this  long  while;  the  man  takes  no  care  of  himself  in  his  devotion 
to  you  and  to  this  church ;  then  he  was  enraptured  at  the  idea  of 
seeing  the  Holy  Father  and  Kome  once  more ;  excitement  has 
done  this,  bishop.' 

*I  'm  afraid,'  said  Bishop  Otto,  eyeing  her  keenly,  '  that  French 
has  had  more  on  his  mind  than  the  service  of  the  Church  ;  his 
attention  has  been  devoted  to  other  things,  perhaps.' 

'  How  you  surprise  me ! '  cried  Catherine.  '  He  may  be  eager 
for  the  political  advancement  of  our  Church,  but  you  would  not 
condemn  that;  he  may  be  avaricious,  but  that  is  no  harm,  for  all 
the  property  gained  goes  to  your  bishopric.  If  you  mentioned 
Mr.  Perry  or  Mr.  Prentoul  as  being  unsettled,  I  would  not  be  so 
amazed  as  at  such  a  hint  in  regard  to  that  devoted,  scrupulous 
priest,  Father  Fi'ench.' 

'  I  hope  he  is  all  right,  but  I  fear.  There  is  no  use  in  being 
secret  over  what  you  know  already,  and  you  remember  that  there 
was  a  trouble  about  a  young  woman  belonging  to  the  Church  of 
the  Visitation.' 

*  Fie,  fie ! '  said  Catherine,  coolly.  *  That  was  a  pity,  to  be  sure, 
but  it  was  only  an  accident  such  as  frequently  happens ;  all  passed 
off  quietly.  French  will  do  better  hereafter,  and  has  doubtlesa 
forgotten  that  by  this  time.' 


304  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

Sitting  about  in  secret  places,  Catharine's  eyes,  with  wonderful 
prescience  marked  the  affairg  of  secular  life  ;  her  white  hands  held 
many  threads  which  no  one  would  have  thought  of  following  to 
a  convent,  and  these  threads  she  spun,  like  Fate,  into  tissues  to 
suit  her  will.  Eumor  was  that  Catharine  could  fly  into  furies, 
strike,  and  rage,  —  this  among  her  sisters  and  subordinates; 
priests  and  potentates  could  say : 

'  I  find  you  passing  gentle ; 
'  T  was  told  me  you  were  rough,  and  coy,  and  sullen, 
And  now  I  find  report  a  very  liar, 
For  thou  art  pleasant,  gainsome,  passing  courteous.' 

In  the  hands  of  astute  priests,  especially  of  Jesuits,  auricu- 
lar confession  is  no  more  than  the  machinery  of  an  universal  es- 
pionage all  over  the  Christian  world.  It  will  be  said,  'jSTo! 
because  they  cannot  use  it.'  Ah,  my  friends!  you  do  not  know- 
Jesuitical  practice  ?  if  one  member  of  a  family  go  to  a  Jesuit  con- 
fessor, all  the  secrets  of  that  family  are  discovered,  and  used.  The 
confessor  does  not  restrain  himself  to  the  secrets  of  the  penitent:" 
if  that  be  a  young  lady,  or  a  servant,  suppose,  she  is  questioned 
about  the  actions  of  her  father  and  mother,  and  masters;  who 
came  into  the  house ;  what  kind  of  society  was  kept ;  what  subjects 
were  spoken  of;  if  the  food  used  on  Fridays  and  Saturdays  was 
such  as  the  Church  prescribes ;  what  book  is  read ;  if  there  be  any 
daily  worship  in  the  house ;  which  church  they  frequent ;  if  they 
go  to  confess,  to  the  Easter  sacrament,  and  so  forth.  Hundreds 
and  hundreds  of  such  questions  are  put,  not  appertaining  to  the 
penitent.  Why  ?  To  know  the  secrets  of  the  family,  to  get  this 
great  power,  and  to  use  it. 

"Who  is  the  master  in  a  Catholic  family  ?  The  confessor.  Sons 
and  daughters  obey  their  confessor  before  their  father  and  mother, 
and  often  displease  their  parents,  in  order  to  please  their  confess- 
ors. Husbands  are  only  secondarily  obeyed  by  their  wives :  first 
in  command  over  them  is  always  the  father  confessor.  Believe 
my  words:  they  speak  the  experience  of  more  than  twenty- 
five  years  among  Papist  clergy.  The  great  work  of  Jesuits 
is  always  with  women  in  the  confessional ;  here  they  dispose  of 
society. 

The  last  warfare  of  auricular  confession  against  the  peace  of 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  305 

families  is  at  the  dying  bed.  My  dear  Protestant  brethren,  take 
care  for  your  America,  and  yourselves ;  from  that  death-bed  all 
friends,  all  relations  are  purposely  excluded;  the  priest  alone 
remains.  What  weapons  he  has  in  his  hands !  fear  of  hell,  remorse 
of  conscience, —  the  flame  of  purgatory,  all  are  used  to  induce  the 
dying  penitent  to  make  the  Church  partially  or  totally  his  heir. 
—  Gavazzi  on  The  Confessional. 

"'Use  your  position  ;  let  us  have  the  benefit  of  your  power,' 
Father  French  had  said  to  Alda;  but  withal  use  it  carefully;  be- 
gin by  conceding  something.  Bring  your  husband  to  our  Church ; 
but,  lest  he  seem  to  be  yielding  too  much,  I  give  you  permission 
to  go  sometimes  with  him  wherever  he  may  choose ;  keep  him  to 
his  promise  of  being  present  at  yonr  prayers.' 

Accordingly,  when  the  newly  married  pair  returned  to  the  ele- 
gant home  which  pride,  rather  than  good  policy,  had  ordained 
for  them,  one  of  Alda's  first  efforts  at  proselyting  was  the  repeti- 
tions of  her  evening  devotions.  For  those  she  was  prepared  with 
all  elegant  accessories :  an  embroidered  cashmere  in  which  to  do 
religion  becomingly,  a. pric-dieu,  a  beautiful  new  Virgin,  a  paint- 
ing of  the  Mother  and  Child,  and  a  crucifix  of  pearl  and  gold. 
These  were  duly  made  ready  in  her  dressing  room ;  siie  reminded 
Eoger  of  his  agreement. 

'I  do  not  ask  you  to  join  me,  but  you  said  you  would  be 
present.' 

*  And  what  shall  I  do  ?'  asked  Roger,  constrainedly 

*  Anything  you  like,'  replied  the  obliging  Alda;  'read  a  book 
or  smoke  a  cigar.     /  don't  mind  smoke  ;  indeed,  I  quite  like  it.' 

This  relieved  Roger's  mind  immensely ;  hers  was  an  accommo- 
dating piety  Avhose  orisons  would  not  be  disturbed  by  smoke  or 
light  reading.  The  lawyer  ensconced  himself  in  an  easy-chair;: 
Alda  unbound  her  locks  of  flowing  gold,  took  a  graceful  position,. 
and  a  splendid  prayer-book,  and  went  to  work.  'In  the  name  of 
the  Father,'  etc.,  devoutly  the  pretty  head  bowed  over  the  velvet 
cushion,  and  sweetly  the  prayers  rolled  on  through  '  Our  Father,'' 
*  Hail  Mary,'  etc.,  and  here  Alda's  uplifted  face  turned  to  tlie  pic- 
tured Mary.  Then  were  the  white  iiands  clasped  as  in  self-despair,. 
and  the  Creed  and  the  Confiteor  went  on  like  music.  What 
more  tender  than  the  tones  of  Alda's  prayer  for  the  souls  in 
purgatory?  Here  Alda  thought  it  best  to  take  breath  for 
awhile.    She  turned  about  and  sat  down  on  her  2}ric-dieu,  slipped 


306  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

her  rosary  through  her  taper  fingers,  shook  it  and  twisted  it,  and 
addressed  Eoger  confidentially.  'I  always  feel  so  in  earnest  in 
that  prayer  for  heretics,  but  I  don't  consider  you  a  heretic,  dear. 
And  then  the  prayers  for  the  souls  in  purgatory :  dear  me, 
Eoger,  I  always  think  of  poor  cousin  Fred  and  Lucia  when  I 
think  of  Purgatory ;  it 's  altogether  likely  they  're  there.' 

'  Very  delightful  to  think  of,'  said  Cantwell. 

'  0,  dreadful,  of  course ;  but  they  '11  be  out  some  day.  Do  you 
know  I  gave  Father  French  the  price  of  a  new  set  of  jewelry 
which  I  meant  to  have.  Just  to  say  masses  for  those  two  ? ' 

'  It  is  getting  late/'  said  Roger,  glancing  at  the  clock ;  '  are  you 
done  ? ' 

'  Bless  me,  no !  why  I  've  the  litany  and  no  end  of  prayers  to 
do  yet.     I  hope  your  book  is  interesting.     I  must  go  on.' 

So  Alda  addressed  herself  to  the  Virgin,  and  began  the  litany 
of  Loretto  ;  a  long,  long  litany  to  Mary ;  a  few  short  sentences 
to  the  Lamb  of  God;  a  prayer  to  the  Father,  and  one  to  all  the 
saints,  beginning  with 'Griorious  St.  Mich'.iel,  prince  of  the  ce- 
lestial hosts.'  After  this  the  Memorare,  earnestly  and  pathet- 
ically delivered;  then  the  Angelus  Domini  and  the  Regi7ia  Coeli. 
When  Avould  she  ever  be  through  ?  thought  Eoger,  whose  cigar 
was  out  long  ago. 

Alda  turned  to  him  in  the  midst  of  her  prayers. 

'  What  comes  next  is  supplication  for  parents,  that  you  may  be 
their  comfort,  and  so  on.  Mine  being  dead,  I  just  put  St.  Ger- 
trude's prayer  to  our  Lady  instead ;  I  think  it  is  ever  so  pretty.' 
And  Alda  glibly  went  on  with  St.  Gertrude's  effusion.  Again, 
'  Sweet  hearts  of  Jesus  and  Mary  be  my  refuge ! '  Mercy  0,  Jesus ! 
Great  St.  Joseph,  pray  for  us ! ' 

'What  an  immensity  of  prayers,'  thought  tired  Eoger.  But 
the  long  prayer  for  the  Holy  Church  was  yet  to  come ;  priests, 
vicars,  bishops,  chief  bishops,  the  faithful,  the  souls  of  the  de- 
parted, the  living,  the  benefactors  and  beneficiaries ;  Alda's  or- 
dained prayer  embraced  them  all,  to  the  last  Amen. 

Then  she  approached  Eoger,  book  in  hand,  '/have  to  spv  them 
in  English,  but  you  could  do  them  in  Latin  ;  and  0,  t' 
sounds  so  grand  when  Father  French  repeats  it!' 

'  Do  you  do  all  this  every  night  ? '  asked  Eoger. 

'  Oh,  yes  ;  to  be  sure.    Why  not  ? ' 

*  I  should  think  you  would  get  amazingly  tired.' 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  307 

'No,  indeed;  one  can  thus  do  up  their  religion  for  all  day,  and 
it  is  very  comfortable  to  be  safe  and  settled  for  twenty-four  hours 
I  say  my  prayers,  and  being  all  right  I  can  make  myself  happy 
doing  what  I  please.  There 's  Jocelyn,  she  is  perplexed  with 
scrujiles,  and  rules,  and  dictates  of  conscience,  and  ideas  ofconsis- 
tency  every  hour  in  the  twenty-four.' 

Alda's  pertinacity  in  her  prayers  was  something  wonderful  to 
Eoger ;  he  saw  her  coming  home  late  from  balls  or  operas  and 
getting  at  her  long  devotions  in  spite  of  weariness;  this  zeal  in- 
spired him  with  a  sort  of  respect;  he  grew  accustomed  to  the 
words  of  the  prayers,  and  when  Alda  said,  '  Do,  Roger,  say  the 
Regina  in  the  Latin,'  or  *  Come,  Roger,  begin  this  litany  with 
me,'  he  would  do  so,  rather  pleased  with  the  form. 

To  Catholic  church  went  Roger  with  his  Avife.  To  heretic 
church  went  Alda  with  her  husband ;  the  one  getting  constitu- 
ents, the  other  displaying  her  toilets;  theirs  was  an  easy  religion, 
like  that  of  Mr.  By-ends,  They  could  say  with  him,  '  We  are 
always  most  zealous  when  Religion  goes  in  his  silver  slippers; 
we  love  much  to  walk  with  him  in  the  streets,  if  the  sun  shines 
and  the  people  applaud  him.' 

Alda  was  constant  at  confession,  but  of  this  duty  die  very  pru- 
dently made  little  mention  to  her  husband,  who  was  rather  big- 
oted in  some  matters,  and  had  more  than  doubts  as  to  the  virtue 
of  that  sacrament.  Alda  had  no  doubts;  from  the  age  of  seven 
she  had  been  accustomed  to  the  tribunal  of  penance.  The  Coun- 
cil of  Trent  teaches  that  'they  who  would  escape  perdition  must 
make  the  most  unreserved,  intimate,  and  circumstantial '  replies 
to  all  the  questions  of  their  confessor.  These  replies  were  made 
not  only  in  reference  to  Alda's  personal  affairs  and  spiritual  life, 
but  bore  upon  domestic  relations,  her  husband,  his  i)rospects,  his 
friends,  his  business,  his  private  correspondence  ;  the  Romish 
wife  in  virtue  of  her  very  Romanism,  was  made  a  household  spy, 
the  unconscious  betrayer  of  her  husband's  interests. 

Letters  were  being  written  to  the  lloly  Pope,  and  a  present  of 
money  was  to  go  with  them.  Alda  was  urged  to  give  five  hun- 
dred dollars;  she  was  also  persuaded  to  sign  a  contract  promising 
that  when  the  estate  of  her  defunct  cousin  Fred  should  be  adminis- 
tered and  she  should  come  in  for  her  share,  she  would  give  the 
Church  three  thousand  dollars.  Alda  was  ready  enough  to  i)rora- 
ise  for  by-and-by;  the  present  five  hundred  were  hard  to  obtain. 


308  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

She  said  to  her  priest,  '  Roger  thinks  his  hijluence  is  enough  to 
give,  and  he  would  make  a  terrible  fuss  about  so  much  money. 
Don  't  let  him  know  I  gave  it.  I  must  tell  him  it  went  for  a  new 
suit  and  trust  to  his  not  noticing  the  difference.' 

'Certainly,  certainly;  we  have  to  manage  these  little  things, 
and  I  will  carefully  keep  your  confidence,  my  daughter.' 

We  need  not  wonder  at  this  deceit ;  Rome  instructs  her  children 
that  a  '  wife  may  steal  from  her  husband  in  lelialf  of  tlie  Church.' 

SECLUSION    OF    ROMAN    CATHOLIC    CONVENTS. 

A  few  days  since,  a  motion  was  made,  and  carried  by  a  small 
majority,  in  the  British  Parliament,  to  appoint  a  committee  to 
*  inquire  into  Conventional  and  Monastic  Institutions.'  An  edi- 
torial in  the  London  Watchman  of  April  6,  1871,  referring  to  the 
agitation  growing  out  of  this  action,  properly  argues  :  '  The  con- 
vents are  prisons.  They  are  built,  as  every  one  may  see,  almost 
strongly  enough  to  stand  a  siege ;  high  walls,  massive  doors,  for- 
midable fastenings,  grates  and  bars  of  portentous  solidity:  are 
these  things  the  favored  instruments  of  liberty  ?  Or  are  they  the 
habitual  weapons  of  tyranny  and  oppression  ?  The  convents  are 
prisons :  at  least  the  show  of  their  countenance  doth  witness 
against  them.  Women  enter  them  under  compulsion,  remain  in 
them  under  severe  and  terrible  restraint,  and  disappear  from  them 
entirely,  leaving  no  trace  behind.  It  is  well  known,  that  convents 
in  this  country,  are  in  communication  with  convents  abroad,  and 
that  refractory  nuns,  or  young  women  who  have  not  yet  taken 
the  conventional  vows,  and  about  whom  unpleasant  inquiries  are 
made  by  friends,  or  lovers,  are  removed  to  the  Continent :  out  of 
reach,  sometimes  forever  out  of  reach,  of  all  whom  they  love.  As 
if  to  give  special  point  to  Mr.  Newdegate's  arguments,  only  a  few 
days  before  he  raised  this  question  in  the  House,  an  unsuccessful 
attempt  was  made  to  remove  a  young  woman  to  some  convent- 
prison  in  France.  Happily,  the  pursuit  of  her  friends,  and  her 
own  vigorous  resistance  baffled  the  attempt ;  but  no  one  who 
heard  her  cries  for  help,  resounding  through  the  hotel  where  her 
spiritual  guardians  detained  her  for  the  night,  could  well  believe 
that  this  'bride  of  heaven'  voluntarily  'sought  the  refuge  of  the 
cloister.'  These  unlicensed  prisons  are  being  multiplied  in  Eng- 
land at  a  rate  which  even  the  Ti7nes  considers  '  startling.'    In 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  309 

1830,  there  were  no  monasteries  in  England,  and  only  eleven 
convents.  There  are  now  sixty-nine  monasteries,  and  two  hnn- 
dred  and  thirty-three  nunneries.  The  increase  has  been  very 
rapid  of  late,  seventy-one  convents,  and  fourteen  monasteries  hav- 
ing been  added  within  the  last  seven  years.  They  ought  to  be 
regularly  inspected,  and  reported  upon ;  every  person  who  enters 
them  ought  to  be  clearly  and  satisfactorily  accounted  for ;  and 
every  inmate  who  may  desire  it,  should  have  the  opportunity  to 
his  or  her  liberty  regularly  afforded;  till  this  is  done,  Eome  is 
above  law  in  England. 

A  prominent  pastor  sends  the  following  statement  (addressed 
to  himself),  as  vouched  for  by  his  Sunday-school  Superintendent 
and  the  teacher  referred  to  by  the  writer,  a  girl  of  seventeen  : 

'As  I  am  a  stranger  to  you,  but  not  to  my  Sabbuth-sehool 
teacher,  I  will  take  the  liberty  to  ask  you  to  see  my  teacher,  and 
tell  her  not  to  go  to  our  house ;  if  she  does  she  will  be  taken  a 
prisoner,  as  I  am,  in  the  cell  of  a  Catholic  church,  for  being  a 
lieretic.  My  teacher  instructed  me  in  religion,  but  my  father  and 
mother  are  both  Catholics.     So,  that  I  may  not  be  a  heretic,  I 

will  be  sent  to Convent  to  be  a  nun.     When  I  get  there  I 

will  try  to  get  away  from  the  convent.     There  are girls  to  go 

away  on night;  some  are  sent  because  tliey  will  not  be  Catho- 
lics.    My  teacher's  name  is  E .     I  dare  not  give  the  rest  of 

her  name,  for  fear  it  will  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  priest.     My 

name  is .     My  teacher  was  my  best  friend  when  I  was 

sick.  She  visited  me  every  day;  she  did  more  for  me  than  my 
father  or  mother  could  do  ;  if  it  had  not  been  for  her  I  would 
have  died.  I  am  sorry  that  I  could  not  see  her  myself,  and  tell 
her  to  keep  away.  Do  not  forget  to  give  this  letter  to  her.  She 
will  tell  you  some  things  that  you  will  be  shocked  to  hear :  your 
wife  can  see  her,  and  she  can  tell  her  what  they  do  in  the  convent, 
for  she  knows.'  —  Christian  World. 

REPORTS  OF  DEATHS  IN  CONVENTS. 

I  have  heard  several  times  of  nuns  who  were  thought  by  their 
friends  to  be  dead,  when  they  were  living  shut  up  in  their  consent. 
There  are  many  there,  in  the  secrecy  and  deception  of  convents, 
who  live  through  long,  dark  days  after  their  families  have  been 
informed  that  they  are  dead. —  Chiniquy. 


310  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 


CONVENT   MUEDEKS. 

At  length,  one  night,  a  stranger,  traveling  from  Damascus 
to  Beyroot,  asked  for  a  lodging  in  the  convent;  but  the  gates  were 
already  shut,  the  hour  was  late,  and  he  was  forced  to  content 
himself  by  lying  down  in  the  outer  court  till  the  morning. 

After  a  few  hours'  sleep,  he  was  startled  by  a  sudden  noise  of 
opening  doors  and  bolts  withdrawn.  There  came  forth  from  the 
house  three  women  with  spades,  followed  by  two  men  bearing  a 
heavy  white  bundle,  which  they  carried  into  an  adjoining  place 
of  weeds  and  stones ;  a  hole  was  dug,  the  burden  was  deposited 
in  it,  and,  after  treading  down  the  earth  with  their  feet,  the  party 
returned  to  the  house.  The  work  of  the  nuns,  the  sight  of  the 
heavy  bundle,  and  the  general  mystery  of  the  midnight  transac- 
tion kept  the  traveler  awake,  and  he  set  out  for  Beyroot  at  the 
first  glimpse  of  day. 

It  happened  that  he  was  acquainted  with  a  merchant  in  Bey- 
root, who,  some  months  before,  had  placed  two  of  his  daughters 
in  the  convent,  with  a  portion  of  £  400  sterling.  On  naturally 
asking  some  questions  about  the  journey,  the  sleep  in  the  court- 
yard was  mentioned ;  and  in  the  course  of  the  conversation  the 
mysterious  burial,  rather  reluctantly  on  the  traveler's  part,  tran- 
spired. The  merchant  was  alarmed;  he  knew  that  one  of  his 
daughters  had  been  taken  ill,  and  he  could  not  but  remark  that 
many  of  the  nuns  had  died.  He  immediately  mounted  his  horse 
and  rode  to  the  convent,  where  he  demanded  to  see  his  daughter. 
The  request  was  refused.  He  repeated  it  still  more  ui-gently. 
His  suspicions  were  aroused  by  the  sternness  and  insolence  of  the 
refusal.  Leaving  the  convent  in  an  agony  of  despair,  he  rushed 
to  the  dwelling  of  the  emir,  and  detailed  his  complaint  to  the 
kohic  (secretary),  who  ordered  a  body  of  horse  to  follow  him,  and, 
if  necessary,  to  force  open  the  convent.  The  grave  was  uncov- 
ered, the  body  was  taken  up ;  it  was  the  merchant's  daughter ! 
He  then  inquired  for  his  remaining  daughter;  she  was  found 
confined  in  the  convent,  but  almost  dead,  and  her  narrative  re- 
vealed scenes  of  the  most  frightful  iniquity.  It  was  proved  that 
many  of  the  nuns  were  murdered  to  get  possessions,  and  others 
in  consequence  of  objects  still  more  atrocious,  if  possible. 

In  the  expressions  of  Colonel  Churchill,  the  development 'has 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  311 

not  had  the  slightest  effect  on  the  conventual  system,  which  is 
supported  in  this  countiy  as  much  as  ever.  The  doors  of  the 
nunneries  are  impenetrably  closed  on  their  occupants,  but  whether 
God  or  the  devil  reigns  within,  must  always  be  a  matter  of  con- 
jecture.' 

This  utter  scorn  of  the  lessons  of  experience  is  one  of  the  pre- 
dicted characteristics  of  false  religion.  Eome  neve?'  reforms. 
The  heaviest  calamities,  the  most  startling  exposures,  the  most 
palpable  detection  of  follies,  artifices,  and  crimes,  never  produce 
the  slightest  change.  The  Papacy,  at  this  moment,  is  as  besotted 
with  fable  and  prone  to  imposture  as  if  the  world  remained  in 
the  sullen  credulity  of  the  dark  ages. —  Bulwark;  or,  Reforma- 
tion Journal,  Edinburgh,  185G. 

"When  troubles  come  of  God,  then  nought  behooves 
Like  patience  :  but  for  troubles  wrought  of  men, 
Patience  is  hard— I  tell  you  it  is  hard  " 

"  A  correspondent  from  Rome,  of  the  JetvisJi  Gazette  of  Pesth, 
writes :  '  Nine  years  since  a  beautiful  girl  of  eighteen,  named 
L.  Avignon,  disappeared  from  her  home.  Her  parents .  found 
part  of  her  clothes  on  the  bank  of  the  Tiber.  They  believed  her 
dead.  This  year  (1871),  when  many  convents  were  opened  by 
the  Italian  authorities,  a  nun  appeared  before  a  commissioner, 
begging  to  be  returned  to  her  family,  of  whom  she  had  not  heard 
for  nine  years.  Slie  gave  her  name  and  former  abode,  and  told 
the  magistrate  a  priest,  called  Hubert,  yet  living,  had  ruined  her, 
by  force  and  fraud,  and  then  shut  her  in  a  convent,  under  rigor- 
ous restraint,  as  one  baptized  and  converted.  The  civil  authori- 
ties sought  for  the  parents,  and  found  the  mother  yet  living. 
The  unhappy  motlier  could  scarcely  recognize  her  once  beautiful 
child,  now  worn  and  feeble  from  convent  restraint,  physical  and 
mental  suffering  in  her  long  imprisonment.'" 

CONVENT    AUSTERITY. 

I  will  give  you  an  instance:  A  tender-hearted  young  sister  vio- 
lated this  rule,  by  giving  some  money  to  a  poor  family  on  the 
point  of  starvation;  when  her  Superior  heard  of  it,  she  made  her 
fast  on  bread  and  water  for  one  week.    The  vow  of  chastity  for- 


312  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

bids  her  to  love  one  of  the  opposite  sex,  or  ever  think  of  a  hus- 
band, save  Christ.  She  cannot  even  extend  her  hand  to  a 
gentleman,  or  look  in  his  face  without  breakimg  her  rules ;  nor 
must  she  caress  a  little  child,  for  fear  of  maternal  instincts  dis- 
tracting her.  But  these  ardent,  impulsive  young  creatures,  with 
all  the  woman's  loving  nature,  cannot,  do  not,  keep  this  vow. 
There  is  not  a  sister  in  the  convent,  but  desires  a  material  husband, 
and  they  do  have  their  lovers  among  the  priests,  and  laymen.  (I 
have  seen  six  sisters  in  love  with  one  priest:  but  he  only  loved 
one  of  them,  consequently,  they  were  unhappy  and  jealous.)  By 
the  vow  of  obedience,  she  must  give  up  not  only  her  will,  but  also 
her  judgment  and  reason.  Her  Superior,  a  woman  oftentimes  of 
inferior  intellect,  ignorant,  superstitious,  and  domineering,  can- 
not be  addressed  except  on  the  knees  of  the  subject ;  she  must 
kneel  at  her  feet,  and  listen  to  her  commands,  as  coming  from 
the  mouth  of  God ;  if  the  subject  receives  a  command,  which  her 
judgment  tells  her  is  wronger  absurd,  she  must  violate  her  reason, 
and  do  the  will  of  another.  —  Edith  O'Goeman,  Lecture  in  the 
Tabernacle,  New  York.  1868, 

"  This  is  no  Leaven  ! 
And  yet  they  told  me  all  heaven  was  here, 
This  life  the  foretaste  of  a  life  more  dear : 
That  all  beyond  this  convent  cell, 

Was  but  a  fairer  hell. 

Ah  me — it  is  not  so. 

This  is  not  home  ! 
And  yet  for  this  I  left  my  girlhood's  bower, 
Shook  the  fresh  dew  from  April's  budding  flower. 
Cut  off  my  golden  haii'. 
Forsook  the  dear  and  fair, 
And  fled,  as  from  a  serpent's  eyes, 
Home,  and  its  holiest  charities." 

MUKDEK. 

Ariault  teaches,  that  it  is  no  harm  to  murder  your  enemy,  if 
you  do  it  so  secretly  as  to  occasion  no  scandal.  Guimenius 
affirms  the  same  in  his  seventh  proposition.  Molina  in  his  six- 
teenth disputation  avers,  that  it  is  right  to  kill  any  man,  to  save  a 
crown ;  with  whick  proposition,  Taberna  in  his  Practical  The- 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  313 

ology,  perfectly  coincides.  To  come  to  the  case  in  question,  in- 
fanticide, I  can  only  tell  you  the  authorities  in  favor  of  that  deed 
are  too  numerous  to  mention.  'For  the  sake  of  concealing  in- 
famy, and  preserving  reputations,  infanticide  is  not  only  permitted, 
but  enjoined.'  I  will  give  you  the  moral  animus  of  Jesuitism,  in 
the  words  of  F.  Xavier  Makami,  Prefect  of  the  Jesuit  College  at 
Eouen.  He  says  in  a  thesis,  'Fortunate  crimes  make  heroes. 
Successful  crime,  ceases  to  he  a  crime.  Success  constitutes  or  ab- 
solves the  guilty  at  its  will.' 

A    ROMAN    CATHOLIC    ORPHANAGE. 

One  of  the  worst  revelations  of  Romanism  in  this  country 
concerns  a  Roman  Catholic  Orphanage,  and  comes  to  me  from  a 
lady  well  known  for  fortune  and  benevolence,  the  wife  of  the 
president  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  in  one  of  our  largest 
cities.  This  lady  had  a  servant,  a  widow  with  a  child,  an  un- 
usually fine  boy  of  two  years.  By  the  advice  of  her  mother,  the 
young  woman  placed  her  little  son  in  the  Infant  Asylum  of  St. 
Francis.  She  afterward  told  her  mistress  that  a  nun  had  warned 
her  against  this  course,  saying  'No  child  thrived  at  St.  Fran- 
cis's. 

A  fortnight  later,  the  grandmother  remarked  to  the  mistress, 
*  I  guess  her  child  is  dead  by  this  time.  I  saw  it  a  week  ago,  and 
it  looked  as  if  it  could  not  hold  out  much  longer.' 

This  heartless  remark  so  distressed  the  lady,  herself  the  mother 
of  children,  that  she  called  her  carriage,  and  driving  to  St.  Fran- 
cis's, demanded  the  boy.  She  was  left  in  the  sacristy  alone  for 
about  an  hour;  then,  seizing  a  passing  nun,  she  repeated  her 
demand. 

The  presence  of  the  child  was  denied ;  but,  as  she  insisted,  she 
was  bidden  come  to  the  yard,  and  select  it.  She  found  the  '  yard  ' 
a  treeless,  tan-bark-covered  place,  where  numbers  of  children 
were  lying  listlessly  about,  all  wan,  emaciated,  and  so/-e-eyed,  un- 
sheltered from  the  sun.  Only  one  was  plump  and  fair,  and  that 
with  a  strange,  unchildish  sorrow  in  its  eyes.  Tlie  nun  casually 
remarked  that  this  little  one  had  just  come  in.  The  child  sought 
not  being  here,  the  '  sister '  turned  to  look  for  it  in  a  long  shed, 
and  here  the  lady  softly  followed  her.  She  found,  lying  in  little 
straw-filled  boxes,  many  babes  —  all  wasted,  dirty,  clad  each  iu 


314  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

one  soiled  garment  —  all  sore-eyed,  wretched,  and  apparently  dy- 
ing. 

The  nun  lifted  one  from  its  miserable  resting-place,  and,  turn- 
ing, confronted  the  visitor.  '0,  my  God  !'  she  cried,  'go  out  of 
here  instantly  or  they  will  kill  me ! ' 

The  lady  received  into  her  arms  the  infant  sufferer,  and  took 
it  home.  In  three  days  it  died,  the  family  physician  and  the  ex- 
perienced nurse  declaring  it  a  plain  case  of  starvation,  the  eyes 
being  literally  burned  away  by  strong  waters. 

The  details  are  too  horrible  to  be  narrated.  A  seamstress 
stated  that  she  had  served  two  months  next  door  to  St.  Francis's, 
and  had  never  seen  a  milkman  there,  but  from  two  to  five  small 
coffins  carried  out  of  early  mornings, 

A  widow,  who  supported  herself  by  coloring  photographs,  took 
her  three-year-old  son,  a  robust  child,  to  board  at  St.  Francis's 
while  she  executed  a  large  order  for  work ;  and,  going  for  him 
early  one  morning,  at  the  expiration  of  three  weeks,  met  the  cof- 
fin of  the  child  coming  from  the  gate. 

A  Catholic  cook  boldly  told  the  lady,  who,  as  I  told  you,  in- 
vaded St.  Francis's,  that  children  taken  there  were  not  exjmcted  to 
he  raised  ;  that  only  those  children  went  to  St.  Francis's  who  were 
in  everybody's  way,  and,  if  any  others  were  carried  thither  it  was 
a  mistake  for  which  the  sisters  were  not  responsible.  She  also 
said  that  '  children  dying  in  that  consecrated  spot  were  sure  of 
glory,  whereas,  if  they  lived,  they  might  be  thieves,  murderers,  or 
even  heretics.  The  holiness  of  the  sisters  was  increased  by  every 
child  that  got  to  heaven  through  their  hands.'  '  Then,'  cried  this 
Protestant  lady,  'why  not  give  them  a  sponge-full  of  chloroform, 
or  a  dose  of  laudanum ;  it  would  be  far  less  cruel  ! ' 

'  0,'  replied  the  astute  Eomanist,  '  that  would  be  murder,  but 
this  is  simply  letting  alone.' 

Being  informed  of  these  things,  I  took  occasion  to  question  a 
respectable,  honest,  and  kind-hearted  Romanist  woman  about  St. 
Francis's.  At  first  she  professed  ignorance,  but,  by  degrees, 
averred  that  no  children  lived  long  in  this  Orphanage ;  a  friend 
of  hers  had  rescued,  after  a  three  weeks'  stay,  a  babe  that  went 
in  healthy,  and  came  out  blind  and  dying. 

'  The  situation  must  be  unhealthy,'  I  said. 

'  Bad  situations  do  n't  make  sore  eyes,'  she  replied. 

'  Then  there  is  lack  of  food  or  ventilation,'  I  suggested. 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  315 

*  Lack  of  food,  like  enough,'  she  answered. 

'  The  bishop  should  know  it ;  must  be  informed  of  it.' 

'He  does  know  it,'  she  retorted;  'and  he  forbade  my  sister 
putting  four  fine  children  there,  for  he  said  they  would  not 
thrive;  but  he  told  her  of  two  other  convents  where  they  are 
doing  well.' 

From  all  this,  you,  my  friends,  must  gather,  as  I  did,  that 
Eome  has  in  one  country,  at  least  one  house  devoted  to  slow  in- 
fanticide, where  poor  little  infants,  a  burden  to  their  natural 
protectors,  and  having  small  claim  on  the  community,  are  done 
to  death  by  letting  alone !  And  let  me  tell  you,  infanticide  is 
peculiarly  a  Koman  Catholic  crime,  and  a  crime  especially  inimi- 
cal to  the  interests  of  a  republic;  for  republics,  like  families, 
should  grow  not  so  much  by  the  adoption  of  aliens,  as  by  children 
born  in  their  midst. —  Christian  World,  April,  1871. 

"  But  the  young,  young  children  !  0,  my  brothers, 

They  are  weeping  bitterly  I 
They  are  weeping  in  the  playtime  of  the  others, 

In  the  country  of  the  free  1 " 

What  of  Father  French  and  Bishop  Otto  ? 

"  And  now  troubles  and  dangers  thickened.  Bishop  Otto  had 
not  yet  given  up  his  hope  of  influencing  Cantwell.  On  a  day  of 
smothered  excitement,  when  some  sort  of  a  moral  tempest  was 
brewing,  Bishop  Otto,  on  pretence  of  going  to  his  room  to  sleep, 
stole  out  of  the  house,  leaving  Francis,  his  so-called  shadow,  in 
the  oratory. 

Some  time  after,  the  coachman,  a  kindly  fellow  devoted  to  his 
master,  came  to  Francis,  saying  anxiously,  '  His  reverence  went 
off  alone  two  or  three  hours  ago,  'and  I'm  fearin'  as  sum 'at  has 
happened  him.  Folk  are  lookin'  for  a  stir  round  town  to-day, 
thougli,  may  be,  there  '11  not  be  any.  Howsomdever,  there 's 
been  mad  looks  agin  Earle's  print-shop  since  that  bad  book  was 
out,  and  his  lordship  goes  that  a  way  so  often,  I  'm  thinking  if 
times  get  rough  he  may  be  towzled  and  put  upon ;  that 's  all, 
Mr.  Francis.' 

The  countenance  of  Francis  expressed  the  utmost  anxiety. 
'  Go,  go,'  he  cried, '  bring  the  carriage  and  take  me  down  to  Judge 
Cantwcll's  ofiBce.  We  must  find  the  bishop  at  once;  he  is  always 
thinking  of  others  and  never  of  himself.' 


X 


316  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

Poor  Francis  ! 

It  was  growing  late  in  the  afternoon ;  the  red  light  of  the  de- 
clining sun  burnished  spires  and  chimneys,  and  fringed  the  roofs 
with  flame.  To  the  terrified  Francis  everything  wore  the  hue  of 
blood ;  the  sewers  seemed  filled  with  a  horrible  crimson  tide,  and 
the  hum  and  rattle  in  the  busy  streets  came  to  his  ears  as  mingled 
with  groans  and  shrieks.  But  no  ;  all  the  city  was  at  peace ;  men 
went  their  several  ways  without  a  fear ;  alarm  dwelt  only  in  the 
bosom  of  Francis. 

Leaping  i'rom  the  carriage,  the  servant  was  hurrying  up  the 
stair  when  he  met  Cantwell  coming  down. 

'Where  is  Bishop  Otto?'  cried  Francis. 

'  I  do  not  know ;  he  left  here  a  half  an  hour  since,  with  Mr. 
French.' 

'  But  I  heard  there  was  some  disturbance  going  on.' 

*  Not  at  all ;  why  should  there  be  ?     All  is  quiet.' 

Partially  comforted,  Francis  came  down  the  steps  with  the 
lawyer,  Cantwell  eyeing  him  intently  all  the  while.  Mr.  Dunbar 
was  leaving  the  book-store,  and  the  gentlemen  stopped  to  shake 
hands.  In  an  instant,  before  they  could  understand  the  cause, 
the  carriage  horses  made  a  plunge,  throwing  down  the  driver, 
who  held  the  reins,  and  alas!  flinging  Francis  under  the  wheels, 
which  passed  over  his  chest. 

There  were  few  in  Allerton  Place  at  that  hour,  but  all  who 
saw  the  accident  sprang  to  the  rescue.  Some  secured  the  horses, 
others  cared  for  the  stunned  coachman,  but  Dunbar  and  Cantwell 
lifted  the  lifeless  form  of  Francis,  and  carried  it  into  Earle's  de- 
serted sanctum,  sending  our  Aurora  Lane  boy  for  a  physician. 

Roger  poured  water  on  Francis's  head  and  face,  while  Mr. 
Dunbar  with  busy  anxiety  undid  his  neckcloth  and  vest  to  ascer- 
tain the  extent  of  the  injury.  The  delicately  moulded,  uncov- 
ered throat,  the  fair,  soft  skin  of  the  feebly-heaving  bosom, 
revealed  Otto's  carefully-cherished  secret.  Dunbar  sprang  back 
with  a  cry  of  surprise. 

*  Cantwell,  it  is  a  woman ! ' 

Eoger  reached  for  an  afghan  lying  tumbled  on  an  adjacent 
chair,  and  drew  it  pitifully  over  this  Francis.  The  wet  hair  of 
the  unconscious  stranger  fell  in  heavy  masses  about  the  pallid 
face ;  Cantwell,  with  a  sudden  thought,  divided  it  in  the  centre 
and  smoothed  it  back  with  his  fingers,  studying  the  features  well. 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  317 

*  The  Bishop's  ward !  Poor  soul !  I  suspected,  but  dared  not 
believe  this,  long  ago.     0,  pity,  pity  ! ' 

'Friend,' said  Dunbar,  hastily,  'this  eclaircissement  must  not 
take  place  here,  in  mercy  to  that  unhappy  man  and  this  poor 
girl.  Before  the  doctor  comes,  let  us  carry  her  to  Otto's  house, 
and  leave  him  to  manage  the  affair  as  best  he  can.' 

*  Yes,'  said  Eoger,  slowly,  '  I  think  she  is  dying ;  let  her  die 
there.  The  carriage  is  at  the  door;  bring  those  cushions:  I  will 
carry  her  out.  Have  one  of  those  boys  get  a  bottle  of  brandy 
next  door.' 

As  the  two  gentlemen  entered  the  hall  of  the  bishop's  residence, 
bearing  their  insensible  burden.  Otto  met  them,  wringing  his 
hands,  with  a  great  cry.  He  motioned  toward  the  library  sofa, 
saw  plainly  that 'all  was  known,  and,  in  his  anguish,  forgetting 
his  dread  of  scandal,  closed  the  door,  imploring,  '  Stay  and  help 
me !  I  cannot  have  these  servants  know  this.  You,  you  under- 
stand it  now;  have  mercy  on  me,  Judge  Cantwell.' 

'Friend,'  said  Roger,  sincerely,  'anything  and  everything  which 
we  can  do  is  at  your  service.  Let  us  see  if  we  can  restore  con- 
sciousness here.' 

'Is  there  any  hope?'  gasped  Otto. 

Mr.  Dunbar  shook  his  head.    '  Evidently  none.' 

They  had  laid  the  limp  figure  upon  a  sofa,  removed  a  portion 
of  the  clothing  and  applied  restoratives.  Bishop  Otto  knelt  sob- 
bing by  the  couch,  holding  the  white  hands  in  his  own.  Still 
striving  to  restore  consciousness,  these  anxious  watchers  saw 
Francis's  eyes  open,  and,  evidently  realizing  the  present  danger, 
the  first  glance  fell  upon  the  bishop  with  such  tenderness  and 
compassion  as  moved  even  Roger  to  tears. 

'  Francis  ! '  cried  Otto,  in  an  agony. 

'Not  Francis,  now,'  said  the  dying  one,  slowly;  'that  is  past. 
Call  me  by  the  name  you  said  was  dangerous  —  Laure  —  once 
more.' 

'  Laure  I  my  Laure  !  angel  of  my  life  !  devoted,  self-sacrificing, 
most  loving  Laure  ! '  cried  Otto,  wildly.  '  0  that  I  might  die  for 
you  or  with  you!' 

*  That  cannot  be,'  said  Laure,  stroking  his  face  gently.  '  Poor 
Otto,  what  will  you  do  when  I  am  gone  ? ' 

'Laure,  beloved,  I  have  ruined  your  life,  beguiled  you  from 


318  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

home  and  friends,  shut  you  out  from  society,  made  you  most  un- 
hajopy.    Can  you  forgive  me,  forgive  all  this  ?  * 

'  I  have  nothing  to  forgive ;  /  loved  you,  OUo.^  Such  a  wonderful 
devotion  was  in  those  tones,  that  Dunbar,  covering  his  face  turned 
away. 

*Let  me  speak.  Otto,'  said  Laure,  laying  her  hand  over  the 
Bishop's  lips.  *  Let  me  speak  to  these  two,  who  have  learned  what 
we  have  so  long  concealed,  even  from  those  who  dwelt  under  the 
roof  with  us.  Sirs,'  Cantwell  and  Dunbar  drew  near,  looking 
compassion ;  Laure  spoke  in  slow,  soft  tones,  for  she  was  growing- 
very  feeble,  but  every  word  was  well  weighed  and  plain. 

'  Mr.  Dunbar,  you  may  not  remember  me,  but  I  know  you  well ; 
Laure  Vallerie  was  once  your  sister's  dearest  friend ;  that  may 
arm  you  against  me,  but  recollect  that  I  loved  her,  and  felt  that 
in  my  Church  only  could  she  find  salvation.  By  her  conversion 
also,  I  hoped  to  atone  for  this  life  which  you  despise  me  for  lead- 
ing. My  plan  failed,  Mr.  Dunbar;  your  sister,  as  you  must  have 
heard  before  this,  died  a  Protestant.     Alas,  I  fear  she  is  lost!' 

Laure  paused  a  moment,  then  spoke  again. 

*  Sirs,  you  see  in  me  one  who  has  lived  a  lie,  who  has  never  been 
blessed  with  a  marriage  vow;  you  despise  me,  you  despise  and 
condemn  Mm.  But  hear  me  a  moment,  for  my  justification,  for 
I  have  a  last  request  to  make,  and  I  make  it  of  you  two.  This 
bishop  is  much  older  than  I,  but  from  the  hour  that  he  and  I 
first  met, —  it  was  in  church  after  service.  Otto, —  we  have  loved 
each  other  so  truly  and  so  devotedly,  as  to  forget  all  the  world 
besides.  If  our  church  had  been  like  yours,  sir,'  she  looked  at 
Mr.  Dunbar,  '  I  should  have  been  his  wife  in  name,  as  in  heart. 
Sir,  our  Church  is  true  and  holy,  but  in  some  things  she  seems 
ordained  rather  for  angels,  than  for  human  beings;  we  are  in 
this,  the  victims  of  our  Church,  for  she  is  strong  and  we  are 
weak.  The  sacrament  of  marriage  was  denied  ua ;  we  could  only 
promise  each  other  to  be  true  and  loving,  each  to  each,  and  let  no 
one  else  come  between  us ;  for  the  rest,  we  took  care  that  no  one 
suspected  me,  that  we  might  save  a  scandal  to  the  Church.  I  am 
dying,  I  shall  be  beyond  fear,  shame,  or  scorn,  in  a  few  hours : 
but,  sirs,  he  will  not.  1  do  not  repent  this  thing ;  you  have  been 
80  kind  to  me.  Otto,  and  have  needed  me  so  much :  andj'ou  know 
our  Church  shut  us  up  to  it ;  and,  sirs,  we  have  atoned  for  this 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  319 

fault,  by  extreme  devotion  to  the  Holy  Virgin,  who  is  most  pitiful 
and  tender.' 

*Do  not  hurry  me,  Otto,'  she  continued;  *you  know  I  wear 
the  brown  scapular,  and  cannot  die  before  I  confess.  I  hope  the 
Lord  and  all  the  angels  will  forgive  me,  for  I  have  tried  to  live 
well  in  all  but  that,  and  you  will  find  your  chief  happiness  in  say- 
ing many  masses  for  me,  my  Otto.  But,  gentlemen,  his  peace 
and  honor  are  now  in  your  hands ;  there  may  be  hints  and  sur- 
mises, but  he  can  look  them  down,  if  you  two,  who  may  be  sup- 
posed to  know  the  truth,  will  only  be  silent.  Promise  me  that 
you  will  thus  be  merciful  to  him ;  for  think,  if  you  had  been  in 
his  place,  cut  off  from  family  and  friends,  never  an  equal  or  com- 
panion near  you,  no  one  with  true  love  for  you,  none  to  call  you 
by  name,  to  tend  you  in  illness  :  0,  if  you  had  found  one  to  love, 
and  to  love  you,  you  might  have  done  as  he  has  done.' 

*  We  promise  you,'  said  Dunbar.  *It  will  do  us  no  good  to  add 
another  care  and  sorrow  to  the  bishop's  life.  We  pity  you  both. 
He  is  not  in  our  hands  to  be  destroyed ;  to  God  only  must  you 
look,  and  give  account.    Do  not  fear  us.' 

Otto  had  sent  for  a  physician  of  some  skill,  belonging  to  his 
own  congregation,  and  Laura  Vallerie,  now  being  relieved  from 
her  chief  fear,  said  to  the  bishop  that  she  wished  to  confess  to 
Father  French. 

From  this  the  bishop  shrank,  saying,  *  Why  not  to  me,  Laure  ? 
It  is  permitted  in  the  Compendii  Theologm  3Ioralis.  You  re- 
member that.     Is  it  best  to  call  in  another  priest,  my  Laure  ?' 

Laure  looked  distressed.  '  I  wish  it  so,  my  Otto.  It  is  a  terri- 
ble thing  to  die:  it  is  best  to  be  well  prepared.     I  could  wish — ' 

'No  more,  beloved  Laure.    I  will  send  for  him,  instantly.' 

The  physician  came.  Mr.  Dunbar  and  Eoger,  with  a  silent 
"bow,  withdrew. 

The  doctor  found  no  reason  to  hope ;  Laure  Vallerie  had  but  a 
few  hours  to  live.  Having  done  what  he  could  to  relieve  pain 
and  make  her  hist  moments  easy,  he  departed,  leaving  her  to  the 
ministrations  of  Father  French.  Otto  stood  by  the  window, 
weeping,  while  Father  French  bent  over  the  bed  to  receive  Laura's 
last  confession. 

*  I  trust,'  said  the  penitent,  in  conclusion,  *  not  only  to  your 
sworn  secrecy  as  a  priest,  but  in  the  natural  kindness  of  your 
heart.' 


320  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

Father  French  bowed,  pronounced  his  absolution,  and  sat 
down  ;  then  he  looked  toward  Otto.  'Bishop,  the  viaticum;  the 
time  is  short.' 

*  Short ! '  A  heart-rending  groan  burst  from  Otto ;  he  hurried 
to  Laure,  bent  over  her,  kissed  her  repeatedly,  murmuring  words 
of  affection. 

*  My  poor  Laure !  and  the  reward  of  your  devotion  is  an  un- 
happy life,  a  violent  death.' 

'No,  the  reward  is  your  love,  your  happiness.  Otto.  I  have 
not  been  unhappy.  If  I  had  not  been  so  fiercely  jealous  of  the 
abbess,  of  Lucia,  of  every  one  who  was  near  you,  I  would  have 
been  most  happy.     But  that  was  my  nature.' 

'  You  had  no  need  to  be  jealous,  most  dearly  beloved.' 

*  Ah,  I  see  it  now.  Yours  was  not  a  love  to  grow  weary,  and 
reject  me;  it  was  my  folly  to  think  so;  in  that  I  wronged  you.' 

Otto  turned  to  French.  'Make  ready  the  viaticum,  French.  I 
am  abased  before  you ;  pity,  if  you  cannot  excuse,  me.' 

When  the  last  rites  of  the  Church  had  been  performed,  and 
Laure  was  dead.  Priest  French  left  the  palace  and  went  to  the 
sacristy  of  the  Church  of  the  Visitation.  Standing  there  alone, 
he  looked  at  the  paraphernalia  of  his  office. 

'  This  strife  is  ended,'  he  said.  '  Would  I  put  Nell  in  that  poor 
girl's  place  ?  would  I  be  Bishop  Otto  ?  If  he  could  not  contend  with 
his  fate,  can  I  ?  No ;  but,  say  what  they  will,  there  is  but  one 
course  I  can  take  after  this  day's  lesson.  I  will  go  to  Nell,  and 
marry  her.' 

So,  leaving  his  robes  and  his  Church,  Priest  French  went  forth 
resolved  to  seek,  with  honorable  intentions,  the  long-unhappy  and 
injured  mother  of  his  son." 

"  Eome  proclaims  herself  united.  But  is  Rome  thus  one  in 
doctrine  ?  By  no  means.  It  has  not  needed  the  disputes  at  the 
last  Ecumenical  Council,  nor  the  division  into  '  old  '  and  '  new ' 
Catholics  in  Europe,  to  teach  us  that  in  Rome  are  more  parties, 
and  more  diversities  in  belief  than  are  to  be  found  anywhere  else. 
If  differences  are  heresy,  then  Rome  is  the  first  and  chief  of  here- 
tics. Friars  of  different  orders,  wearers  of  diverse  scapulars  scan- 
dalize humanity  by  their  quarrels. 

In  France  and  Spain  there  are  almost  as  many  Virgins  as  there 
are  districts ;  and  one  bishop,  as  during  the  late  Franco-Prussian 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  321 

war,  says,  *  Implore  my  Virgin ; '  another  says,  '  Nay,  my  Virgin 
is  the  one  for  the  present  emergency.'  When  Charles  and  Philip 
fought  for  the  crown  of  Spain,  the  Virgin  of  Pilar  favored 
Charles,  this  Virgin  being  an  imperialist ;  while  the  Crucifix  of 
San  Salvator  fought  under  the  banners  of  Philip,  being  '  affec- 
tionate '  to  him.  The  imperialists  were  so  angry  at  San  Salvator, 
in  plain  speech,  Jesus  Christ,  that  they  would  make  no  gifs  to 
his  altars;  while  Philip's  men  cut  the  acquaintance  of  the  Holy 
Virgin  because  she  favored  Charles. 

In  1542,  Dr.  Augustine  Eomirez  in  Spain  (Saragossa)  pub- 
lished in  a  book  on  the  Virgin,  that  Mary  the  Queen  of  Heaven,  in 
a  celestial  council,  had  been  affronted  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  who  de- 
clared that  until  her  altars  were  enriched  on  earth,  she  luas  not 
equal  to  the  Holy  Trinity.  At  this  time  the  Virgin,  in  a  vision, 
informed  a  Spanish  priest  that  for  fifteen  years  she  had  had  so 
few  offerings  made  her,  that  she  was  ashamed  to  open  her  lips  to 
God  the  Father. 

About  the  immaculate  conception  of  the  Virgin,  the  Domini- 
cans and  Franciscans  have  never  agreed,  and  mut  ally  accuse  each 
other  of  heresies.  There  has  never  been  a  council  in  the  Catho- 
lic Church  which  has  not  condemned  some  other  council.  The 
fact  about  Romanism  is  that  it  agrees  in  nothing  but  disagreeing. 
Three  great  parties  in  the  Eomish  Church  have  divided  on  the 
councils  of  their  promulgations.  All  the  councils  have  been  de- 
nied by  one  or  another  of  the  Fathers. 

Some  of  the  most  able  and  magnificent  swearing-matches  on 
record  have  been  when  the  venerable  authorities  of  Romanism 
got  together,  ofiicially  to  curse  each  other  and  their  deliverances. 
Whenever  these  holy  fountain-heads  of  wisdom  came  into  coun- 
cil, and  each  uttered  his  mind,  it  was  found  that  there  were  as 
many  opinions  as  men.  Each  then  proceeded  to  anathematize 
his  neighbor  and  his  neighbor's  faith.  The  sacred  bishops,  ar- 
rayed in  their  canonicals,  made  their  council-chamber  a  Mount 
Ebal  which  had  no  Gerizim  to  offset  it.  In  one  of  the  Alexan- 
drian synods  a  Catholic  saint  bestowed  upon  an  equally  Catholic 
heretic  thirteen  distinct  cursings,  a  kindness  which  the  heretic 
returned  with  amiable  alacrity.  Cyril,  Nestorius,  John,  Genna- 
dius,  Memnon,  Ibes,  Theodoret,  in  different  ages  and  quarters  of 
the  globe  cursed  each  other  with  the  highest  cordiality  and  piety. 

Popes  have  condemned  Popes.     There  have  been  two  universal 


322  THE  UNSEALED  BOOK. 

Popes,  and  two  universal  Councils  at  the  same  time,  eacli  partic- 
ularly proficient  in  the  fine  art  of  execration.  Urban  was  Pope, 
not  so  much  Dei  Gratia,  as  Catlierince  Gratia,  the  saint  of  Sienna, 
having  particularly  propped  his  falling  throne.  The  Ecumenical 
of  1870  has  fixed  the  infallibility  of  all  the  Popes.  What  then 
■was  the  divine  utterance  by  the  mouth  of  Pope  Boniface,  in  1294  ? 
The  most  shocking  of  blasphemy  which  the  pen  trembles  to  write ; 
*The  soul  of  man  is  the  soul  of  a  beast,  men  dust,  with  no  hope 
of  immortality.  I  believe  no  more  in  Mary  Virgin,  than  I  believe 
in  an  ass,  nor  in  her  son,  tlian  in  the  foal  of  an  ass.' 

In  the  face  of  all  this  contradiction,  and  internecine  war,  what 
can  the  Eomish  Church  do  but  exactly  what  it  has  done,  i.  e.,  to 
proclaim  the  infallibility  of  the  Pope,  and  hereafter  accept  the 
decree  of  his  lips  as  the  word  of  God  ;  and  when  the  Popes  con- 
tradict each  other,  saying  that  a  thing  is,  and  is  not,  at  the  same 
time,  the  Catholic  Church  must  content  themselves  with  the  as- 
surance, that  such  contradictions  are  holy  mysteries,  like  the 
Trinity,  and  the  Conception  of  Christ,  not  to  be  doubted  nor  dis- 
puted, but  humbly  accepted.  This  doctrine  of  the  immaculate 
conception  of  Mary,  gave  the  Eomish  Church,  in  effect,  an  addi- 
tional person  in  the  Godhead,  a  holy  Quarternity.  The  decree  of 
the  Pope's  infallibility,  gives  that  same  Church  a  divine  Quinter- 
nity,  in  the  name  of  which,  for  consistency's  sake,  they  should  be 
baptized. 

Pome's  books  to  Eome  report  the  baleful  tale  of  Sin  and  her 
horrible  offspring,  as  Milton  hath  it  — 

'  These  yelling  monsters  that  with  ceaseless  cry 
Surround  me,  as  thou  saw'st,  hourly  conceived, 
And  hourly  born,  with  sorrow  infinite  — 

Into  the  womb 
That  bred  them  they  return,  and  howl  and  gnaw  I 

begotten  in  Eome's  polution,  they  prey  upon,  and  shall  eventually 
destroy  her.     [Her  iniquities  ?] 

Is  it  to  be  wondered  at,  that  Eomanists  tremble  with  fear  at 
the  bare  mention  of  the  spiritual  philosophy  which  shall,  in  due 
time,  reveal  the  immensity  of  their  crimes,  their  shameful  in- 
trigues ?  Not  that  we  would  condemn  them,  for  we  say,  with 
Brother  Peebles,  we  judge  notj  we  condemn  not  any;  and  it  is 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  323 

evident  to  us  that  the  masses  of  the  people,  in  this,  as  in  all  things 
else,  sin  ignorantly.  Enlightenment,  we  well  know,  is  unfavora- 
ble to  Eomanism ;  and,  while  we  pity  the  miserable  ignorance  of 
many  of  her  zealous  adherents,  we  cannot  fail  to  see  in  their 
characters  much  to  admire  and  appreciate.  They  have  been 
nursed  in  the  Church;  the  Church  is  their  home,  their  Religion, 
although  in  many  cases  is  seems  buried  so  deep,  it  is  hard  to  find. 
"  Eeligion,'*'  says  Eembert,  "  is  the  strongest  principle  that  act- 
uates the  human  heart,  as  I  well  know  from  my  own  experience, 
as  well  as  from  observation  and  history.  From  the  latter  we  learn 
that  in  the  '  Holy '  (?)  Wars  of  the  Cross  vs.  the  Crescent  —  (may 
the  sacred  symbol  of  the  lettered  scroll  never  stain  with  human 
blood  its  celestial  sheen)  the  Crusades — two  million  men  were 
killed,  and  a  pyramid  was  erected  from  their  bones  from  one 
battle-field  near  Xieve,  by  Solyman,  as  a  monument  to  their  fa- 
naticism ;  and  the  Saracens  drank  beer  out  of  their  skulls.  His- 
tory tells  us  that  in  the  religious  Christian  conflicts  following  the 
reformation  of  Luther,  at  Avhich  time  the  popes  were  the  legiti- 
mate despots  of  the  world,  and  made  kings  and  national  rulers 
their  abject  vassals  and  suppliant  slaves,  subject  to  their  tyrannic 
caprices,  which  they  exercised  in  the  most  diabolical  manner,  and 
all  by  divine  appointment;  fifty  millions  were  slain,  making  a 
grand  aggregate  of  perhaps  a  hundred  millions  who,  in  the  history 
of  mankind,  have  victimized  themselves  to  their  religion.  The 
skeletons  of  these  victims  of  religion,  if  linked  together,  would 
pave  with  human  bones  more  than  a  hundred  thousand  miles  long; 
would  girdle  the  world  more  than  four  times  round ;  would  build  a 
structure  larger  than  Colossus,  Coliseum,  or  Pyramid.  What 
else  can  impel  a  man  to  throw  himself  under  the  car  of  Jugger- 
naut to  be  instantly  crushed  ?  What  impel  a  mother  to  sacrifice 
her  child,  as  the  Africans  to  the  Ganges  ?  or  the  Chaldean  t<>  ti.o 
Hierapoiis  ?  Man  in  every  age  is  a  devout  religionist;  it  is  an 
innate  and  ineradicable  principle  in  his  nature  to  conceive  of 
and  imagine  a  higher  mind,  to  hope  for  immortality  and  yearn 
for  glory." 

• 

Extract  from  a  friend's  letter:  — 

*"' Yours  was  received  more  than  a  week  ago,  and  now  I  am 
going  to  answer  it,  though  I  don't  know  what  I  shall  say,  I  am 
Bure.    Xow,  how  nice  it  would  be  if  some  other  one  would  writQ 


324  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

for  me,  same  as  he  does  for  you,  then  I  would  not  have  to  think. 

W says,  Tell  you,  we  had  a  spiritual  sermon,  this  morning,  by 

J H ;  he  told  them  about    'Ezra,  the  Scribe'  coming 

down  and  appearing  to  Dr.  S and  his  wife,  and  casting  ac- 
counts with  them.  It  was  a  very  peculiar  and  very  interesting 
sermon.  Now,  perhaps  you  knoio  Ezra  or  have  heard  of  him.  I 
suppose  I  ought  not  to  joke  about  this;  it's  wicked,  isn't  it? 
Well,  it  seems  to  me  that  I  am  dreadful  wicked,  any  way,  and  the 
more  I  try  to  be  good  the  worse  I  grow,  I  guess.  If  I  could  see 
you  I  should  ask  you  a  thousand  and  one  questions,  foolish  ones, 
probably.  Now,  for  instance,  supposing  there  are  true  mediums, 
what  good  are  they  doing  ?  what  of  the  will  of  God  do  they  fore- 
tell ?  how  affect  the  peoj)le  who  listen  ?  is  there  any  good  comes 
of  it  ?  Christ  said,  '  Go  ye  into  all  the  world  and  preach  the  gos- 
pel.' '  Christ  and  him  crucified '  is  the  great  theme  ;  he  died  for 
all,  and  we  are  all  saved  through  him,  if  we  believe ;  and  he  will 
give  us  his  holy  spirit. 

Do  you  think  God's  ministers  are  mediums  ?  they  profess  to  be 
moved  by  the  spirit.  Well,  dear,  I  do  n't  know,  and  sometimes 
think  I  do  not  care;  I  believe  I  want  to  do  right,  but  I  do  not 
live  near  enough  to  my  God  to  feel  the  presence  of  his  love,  and 
of  my  love  to  him :  I  am  afraid  I  am  not  a  follower  after  right- 
eousness. 

What  do  you  think  about  revivals  of  religion?  what  do  you 
think  of  Mr.  Moody's  sermons  ?  do  you  really  enjoy  our  old-fash- 
ioned religion  as  you  used  to  do  ?  This  is  personal,  but  I  wish 
you  would  answer  my  questions.  There  seems  to  be  great  revivals 
of  religion  through  the  country.  I  was  much  interested  in  your 
last;  I  hope  God  will  bless  you,  and  that,  if  you  are  an  in- 
strument in  his  hands  for  doing  good,  you  may  do  great 
things.  I  don't  believe  you  will  want  to  write  to  me  again;  I 
write  you  such  harum-scarum  letters.  What  do  you  mean  by  your 
being  able  to  impress  me  —  put  particular  thoughts  uppermost  in 
my  mind  ?  "  *    « 

Eeply :  — 

I  did  not  intend  so  long  a  time  should  elapse  before  answering 
your"harum  scarum"  letter.  I  assure  you  it  was  not  on  that 
account,  for  it  did  n't  scare  me  a  bit,  and  I  enjoyed  its  contents 
more  than  I  can  tell  you.     I  expect,  if  you  think  yourself "  wicked, " 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  325 

you  will  think  me  ''more  wickeder  still,"  for  I  don't  feel  as  if  I 
should  have  some  other  one  to  assist  me  this  time,  and  many  of 
your  queries  are  of  such  a  personal  character,  I  s'pect  it  would 
hardly  be  fair  for  a  third  party  to  interfere.  I  should  have  en- 
joyed hearing  that  spiritual  sermon,  I  am  sure.  Ezra,  the  scribe, 
I  do  not  "  know  "  personally,  but  have  read  of  him.  Those  other 
folks,  Dr.  Somebody  and  his  wife,  are  not  among  my  acquaintances, 
and  I  can't  make  them  out  at  all.  Have  waded  clear  way  through 
the  book  of  Ezra  to-day,  read  how  the  people  of  God  that  were 
with  him  transgressed  by  their  abominations,  and  how  Ezra 
mourned  over  them,  and  rent  his  garment  and  his  mantle,  and 
plucked  off  the  hair  of  his  head  and  his  beard  —  it  must  have 
been  dreadful  —  and  sat  down  among  them,  astonished.  We]], 
among  all  the  multiplicity  of  tribes  and  names  given,  I  don't 
find  him  "casting  accounts  "  with  any  one  in  particular,  a\t]\ong\i 
the  Good  Book  says  "  the  hand  of  the  princes  and  rulers  hath 
been  chief  in  this  trespass,"  as  is  usually  the  case.  I  have  there- 
fore come  to  the  conclusion  that  the  doctor  and  his  wife  must  have 
lived  at  a  later  period  —  perhaps  are  still  living  —  upon  earth, 
and  that  Ezra  appeared  to  them  in  spirit.     Am  I  correct  ? 

As  to  God's  ministers  being  mediums,  I  most  assuredly  believe 
that  every  minister  upon  the  face  of  the  earth  is  a  medium,  if  I 
understand  the  signification  of  the  word  medium.  I  have  no  dic- 
tionary here,  and  have  never  observed  the  accepted  rendering  of 
the  word  ;  but  my  conception  of  it  is:  a  person  or  instrumentality 
used  to  convey  thoughts,  sentiments,  and  ideas,  from  one  party 
to  another.  If  this  be  the  correct  definition,  not  only  our  minis- 
ters, but  ourselves,  every  individual  who  has  the  breath  of  life 
within  him  is  a  medium  in  a  greater  or  less  degree.  From  the 
common  acceptation  of  the  word  it  may  not  thus  appear:  but 
viewing  it  even  in  this  light,  I  am  bold  enough  to  assert  that  I 
not  only  believe,  but  know  that  all  of  our  most  able  and  efficient 
ministers,  public  speakers,  and  writers,  are,  and  have  been  in  all 
ages,  either  wholly  or  partially  controlled  by  spirit  power,  even 
though  unconsciously  to  themselves.  Many  of  them,  as  you  say, 
profess  to  be  moved  by  the  spirit,  and  think,  as  did  the  projihets 
and  writers  of  old,  that  there  is  no  Holi/  Spirit,  save  one.  Now, 
dear.  Just  reflect  for  a  moment,  and  tell  me,  if  you  can,  how  it 
would  be  possible  for  so  many  diverse  creeds,  religious,  and  doctrines 
to  exist  upon  the  earth  as  there  does,  and  ever  have  existed .  if 


326  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

all  are  moved  by  the  same  spirit  ?  We  well  know  that  many  of 
these  are  in  direct  opposition  to  each  otlier.    Is  it  not,  tlien,  more 

reasonable  to  suppose  —  indeed  a  self-evident  fact  —  that  there 
are  many  ministering  or  controlling  spirits,  and  that  these  spirits 
retain  the  opinions,  as  well  as  the  characteristics  of  their  earth- 
life,  until  a  progressive  change  has  been  wrought  in  them  ?  This 
is  what  our  spiritual  philosophy  teaches,  and  that  precisely  as  they 
leave  this  world,  so  will  they  enter  the  spirit  abode ;  but  it  does 
7iot  teach,  as  do  some  who  profess  wisdom  from  on  high,  that 
they  will  thus  forever  remain,  but  that  they  will  gradually  unfold 
their  powers,  and  expand  the  germ  of  a  higher  life  which  is  im- 
planted in  the  nature  of  every  human  being. 

That  there  are  lying,  hypocritical,  and  evil,  as  well  as  good  and 
holy  spirits,  who  can  and  do  control  under  the  same  universal 
law,  is  not  a  pleasing  feature  of  the  philosophy,  but  is  far  less 
dangerous  when  known  and  understood,  than  when  ignorantly 
concealed.  As  the  law  which  governs  the  phenomena  is  immuta- 
ble, holy  spirits  and  unholy  ones  have  the  same  opportunities  for 
controlling  at  their  will,  provided  they  can  find  a  medium  for  their 
communication  ;  hence  the  injunction  "try  the  spirits." 

"  Supposing  there  are  true  mediums,  what  good  are  they  doing  ? 
what  of  the  will  of  God  do  they  fortell  ?  how  do  they  affect  the 
people  who  listen  ?  is  there  any  good  comes  of  it  ?  " 

I  will  also  suppose  a  case :  If  there  was  a  far-away  country 
upon  this  earthly  sphere,  to  which  we  must  all,  at  some  indefinite 
period  of  time  not  far  distant,  remove,  and  consider  our  final 
home,  until  death,  or  spiritual  birth  to  a  higher  life;  and  if  that 
country  were  governed  by  a  king  whose  authority  was  supreme ; 
which  Avould  give  you  the  most  satisfaction :  to  read  a  history  of 
that  country  and  the  king's  dealings  with  his  subjects,  written  by 
authors  of  whom  you  knew  nothing,  and  who  lived  and  died  there 
centuries  before  your  birth,  representing  the  place  and  people  as 
they  appeared  unto  them  at  that  time;  or  to  listen  unto,  or  read, 
a  verbal  declaration  or  written  description  of  the  same,  by  your 
own  dearly  loved  and  personal  friends  who  had  preceded  you  ? 

As  to  revivals  of  religion,  conversion  of  souls  :  I  have  no  doubt 
there  has  been,  and  still  is,  much  good  accomplished,  and  souls 
truly  converted  by  this  means,  although  I  have  had  little  personal 
experience  or  opportunity  of  judging  of  the  ultimate  results.  I 
have  always  considered  a  gradual  change  of  heart  and  life  more 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  327 

natural,  and  more  likely  to  be  enduring.  I  am  unable  to  give  you 
my  opinion  of  Mr.  Moody's  sermons,  for  I  don't  "think"  I  ever 
read  but  one  of  them,  and  that  was  so  long  ago  I  cannot  recall  it. 
I  felt  anxious  to  attend  one  of  their  meetings,  which  they  Avere 
holding  in  Brooklyn  at  the  time  I  was  in  New  York,  but  circum- 
stances prevented. 

As  to  enjoying  the  old-fashioned  religion  as  well  as  I  used  to: 
Yes,  just  as  much,  and  no  more;  as  compared  with  my  present 
views  and  feelings,  the  first  is  like  a  skeleton  of  dry  bones;  the 
present,  the  same  "  bones,"  no  longer  "  dry,"  but  elastic  and  plia- 
ble, from  the  covering  of  soft,  warm  flesh  which  embodies  them. 
My  religion  —  if  you  will  excuse  the  personality,  but  tliat  seems 
to  be  what  you  are  after  now  —  has  not  been  changed,  but  clothed 
upon.  I  have,  from  the  earliest  recollections  of  my  childhood, 
had  an  instinctive  horror  of  listening  to  a  hell-fire  sermon,  to 
speak  plainly,  and  have  never  believed  in  that  doctrine.  I  could 
not  but  feel  indignant  that  a  God  of  infinite  wisdom  and  justice, 
whose  supreme  attribute  is  Love,  should  be  charged  with  revenge- 
ful cruelty  exceeding  that  of  the  vilest  despot  in  existence.  Fur- 
thermore, I  cannot  believe  there  is  a  being  in  the  whole  universe 
who  has  the  remotest  idea  that  he  shall  be  among  the  number 
consigned  to  fire  and  everlasting  burning;  they  may  think,  as 
some  teach,  that  others  will  be,  but  not  themselves.  This  terror- 
stricken  doctrine  is  seldom  advanced  among  enlightened  people 
at  the  present  day ;  reason  and  progress  will  not,  and  cannot,  ad- 
mit, or  accept  of  it.  The  law  of  progression  is  everywhere  in 
motion,  and  spiritual  food  comes  spontaneously,  at  times,  and 
from  sources  least  suspected  by  us.  As  to  "  impressing  you,"  dear, 
"them's  not  my  sentiments"  but  that  "some  other"  one's. 


'Twas  Easter  morn,  bright,  beautiful,  and  fair; 

A  friend  beloved  and  I,  did  wend  our  way 

Unto  the  place  of  thine  abode,  dear  Lord  : 

Thine  altar  pure,  a  sacred  shrine,  from  which 

Sweet  incense  from  the  breath  of  flowers,  commingling 

With  the  prayers  of  saints,  we  love  yea,  we  love  I 

There  songs  of  holy  ecstasy  unite 

With  angel  choirs,  and  thence  ascend  uuto 


328  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

Celestial  spheres  of  love  and  light  beyond. 
But  O,  to  me,  to  her,  my  friend,  this  seemed 
As  nought  compared  with  that  which  after  came — 
An  inspiration  from  the  man  of  God. 
■His  theme  was  this  :  As  ye  the  image  of 
The  earthly  have  borne  so  also  shall  ye 
The  image  of  the  heavenly  bear.     Amazed, 
We  listened  to  the  grand,  o'erpowering 
Eloquence  poured  forth  ;  combining  depth  of 
Knowledge,  wisdom  profound,  sublimity 
Of  thought,  with  far-sighted  visions  of  the 
Future.     The  retrospective  of  the  past, 
In  brief,  no  charms  exhibit ;  serving  only 
To  render  more  apparent  the  glorious 
Chain  of  endless  progression.     From  each  dead 
Relict  of  the  past  is  born  a  something 
Higher  and  more  enduring  ;  from  each 
Memento  treasured  deep,  arises  hopes 
Cherished  and  borne  on  wings  of  love  unto 
A  bright,  a  living  and  endless  future  ; 
From  ev'ry  ruin  of  grandeur  crumbling 
To  dust ;  comes  a  structure  more  lofty,  grand : 
In  place  of  ignorance  and  cruel  despotism 
Of  past  ages  ;  come  minds  of  intellect 
And  noble  deeds  of  justice  and  mercy ; 
From  every  thought  enkindled  in  the 
Human  breast ;  spring  myriads  of  thoughts  more 
Lofty,  grand  and  pure  ;  from  out  the  depths  of 
Wild  despair,  remorseful  sin  ;  conceptions 
Of  a  changeless  love,  unbroken  ties,  fair 
Visions  of  future  bliss  where  death  and  sin 
Cannot  enter.     The  past  we  recall  not, 
The  present  scarce  enjoy  :     On,  on  !  the  swift 
Impelling  current  hastens  us  ;  we  reach 
Beyond  the  realms  of  space,  if  space  there  be, 
Our  fiiint  conceptions  grow  more  clear,  assume 
A  living,  acting  semblance  of  the  divine  ; 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  829 

Each  new  idea,  however  strange  it 
May  at  first  appear,  is  clothed  in  the 
Habiliments  of  eternal  progression. 
As  said  the  controlling  spirit ;     The  first 
Easter-morn,  known  only  to  a  few,  and 
Comprehended  by  none,  was  but  the  precursor 
Of  a  more  glorious  Easter-morn,  universally 
Acknowledged  and  observed  as  such  ;  the 
Rolling  of  the  stone  from  the  sepulchre 
Of  Christ  was  but  the  foreshadowins:  of 
The  time  when  all  sepulchres  shall  be  open ; 
And  may  we  not  also  believe  the  time 
Will  come  when  angels,  visible  to  our 
Material  sight,  shall,  as  on  that  occasion, 
Hover  round  or  near  our  dear  ones  all. 
In  that  hour  of  sweet  release,  spirit  birth? 
And  will  they  not  say  unto  us,  as  did 
Those  bright  and  shining  ones  unto  the  Mary's  : 
Why  weepest  thou  ?  whom  seekest  thou  ?  why 
Seek  ye  the  living  among  the  dead?     Behold, 
They  are  not  here.     Risen,  indeed,  yet  soon 
Like  him,  the  Crucified,  unto  their  dear  ones 
They  '11  return,  and  manifest  the  power  divine  ; 
Will  say,  like  him,  Lo,  I  am  with  you  alway, 
Even  unto  the  end  ;  fear  not ;  peace  be 
Unto  you  ;  and  ye  that  believe,  my  works 
Shall  ye  do,  and  I  will  work  with  you,  and 
Signs  and  wonders  sliall  follow.     Believe  ye 
This,  my  friends?     Nay,  as  in  those  days,  the 
Multitudes  believe  not ;  the  blood-o-uilty 
Fear  and  tremble  ;  others  receive  it  as 
An  idle  tale  :  of  the  very  elect 
Some  doubt ;  even  while  their  eyes  behold,  their 
Ears  receive  the  demonstrahlo  c\ddence. 
Our  Lord  did  his  disciples  rebuke  for 
Their  slowness  of  heart  in  believing  what 
The  prophets  had  foretold  and  what  their  own 


330  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

Eyes  beheld  ;  saying,  Blessed  are  they  that 
Have  not  seen,  and  yet  have  believed. 

Now  as  John  the  Baptist  was  the  forerunner 

Of  the  promised  Messiah,  even  so  was 

That  Messiah  the  forerunner,  the  typifier 

Of  the  progressive  unfoldment  of  the 

Powers  that  be.     His  was  the  voice  of  one 

Crying  in  the  wilderness  of  sinful 

Ignorance,  superstition,  and  mortal 

Death,  pleading  in  accents  of  tender  love 

And  compassion  for  all  the  human  race, 

Substituting  and  proclaiming  the  blessed 

Gospel  of  harmonic  accord,  whose  chief 

Component  is  charity,  charity, 

Sweet-abounding,  never-ending  charity ; 

Whose  aspiration  brings  inspiration 

From  on  high  ;  whose  mortal  fears  shall  all,  at 

Length,  become  submerged,  and  from  their  carcass 

Issue  forth  the  heaven-born  life  and  hope 

Of  spiritual  liberty  and  glorious 

Immortality  !     His  body  perished. 

His  spirit  ever  lives.     The  truths  he  taught 

Endure  ;  wide-spread  are  they  — milUons  receive, 

Believe  his  words,  whose  eyes  have  not  beheld, 

Whose  ears  have  never  heard  his  mighty  voice. 

And  thus  the  grand,  progressive  scale  ascends 

Into  sublimer  heights,  in  majesty 

Arrayed  ;  new  prophecies  it  showers  forth. 

Eclipsing  all  the  by-gone  ones  of  old. 

Each  revelation  of  the  past  opens 

Up  the  way  for  revelations  more  to 

Come  ;  each  mystery  solved  but  only  points 

To  deeper  mysteries,  closer  veiled  ;  each  soul 

Who  leaves  this  earthly  sphere  forms  one 

New  link  in  nature's  chain  'twixt  earth  and  heaven. 


•       THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  331 

KoU  on,  ye  mighty  ages,  roll !  and  bring 
Us  tidings  from  afar.     From  every  land 
And  zone,  O,  usher  in  the  glorious  cry, 
'Tis  Easter  here,  'tis  Easter  there  !  we'll  join 
The  anthems  from  the  skies,  and  all,  at  length, 
Partake  of  glorious  Easter  joys  on  high. 

At  the  request  of  my  spirit  friends,  and  with  the  permission  of 
the  earthly  friend  who  was  the  recipient  of  the  same,  I  insert  the 
following.  I  have  not  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  the  writer, 
although  her  "Ma"  is  a  very  dear  friend,  whose  kindness  and 
sympathy  are  warmly  cherislied  by  the  detestable  "  Yankee." 

"  Tell  Ma  that  I  am  surprised  to  hear  that  a  woman  of  her  ex- 
cellent good  sense  could  be  so  taken  in  by  some  Yankee  fraud 
fooling  with  spirits.  It 's  a  pack  of  nonsense  gotten  up  by  sharp 
Yankees  to  cheat  unsuspecting  credulous  people  out  of  the  "  al- 
mighty dollar,"  the  god  they  worship.  It  has  been  clearly  proved 
to  be  a  humbug.  Look  at  phe  exposures  of  some  of  the  greatest 
pretended  Spiritualists  of  the  day.  No,  't  is  a  fraud  of  the  worst 
kind,  and  the  miserable  wretches  that  go  through  the  country 
deceiving  people  and  stealing  from  them,  should  be  arrested  and 
put  in  a  penitentiary  at  hard  labor.  I  'd  rather  believe  in  ghosts 
and  hobgoblins  of  all  sorts  than  such  a  pack  of  stuff.  Tell  Ma 
I  am  surprised  at  her.  They  are  smart  to  select  certain  subjects, 
those  of  a  nervous,  excitable  temperament.  Everybody  can't  hear 
voices  and  see  peo})le  from  the  'spirit  land,'  only  those  easily  influ- 
enced. Tell  Ma  her  stomach  is  out  of  order;  if  she  gets  her  sys- 
tem, especially  nervous  system,  in  a  good,  healthy  condition,  she 
will  soon  laugh  at  all  the"  spirits  she  hears  and  sees. 

My  health  is  gradually  improving;  sick,  nervous  headaches 
often,  but  upon  the  whole,  better.  For  the  first  time  in  my  life  I 
can  use  liquors  to  advantage.  A  small  quantity  daily  does  mo 
good ;  once,  I  dared  not  touch  anything  of  the  kind.  I  want  you, 
as  a  special  favor,  to  send  me,  by  express,  two  or  three  gallons  of 
good  peach  brandy,  not  apple  or  whiskey,  but  peach.  It  agrees 
with  me  when  every  thing  else  fails.  Tell  Ma  if  she  will  not  urge 
you  to  send  it,  I  will  send  the  spirit  of  old  Abshire  [he  was  the 
terror  of  the  community  while  in  the  form]  to  disturb  her  dreams." 


332  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK 

We  pray  thee,  dear  sister,  to  stop  and  consider 

How  prone  we  all  are  from  wisdom  to  wander 

There  are,  as  you  say,  imposing  delusions  ; 

But  do  not  too  hastily  jump  at  conclusions. 

If  all  is  but  nonsense,  O,  whence  sprang  it  forth? 

There  cannot  be  fraud  unless  there  is  truth ; 

Nor  can  there  be  a  counterfeit  made 

Without  first  the  real  to  serve  for  a  guide. 

As  to  fooling  with  spirits  —  Pray  how  can  we  fool 

With  what  there  is  not  ?     We  cannot  control 

The  "  dollar  almighty ;  "  and,  as  to  its  worship, 

Ere  the  prayer  is  formed  the  dollar 's  gone  up, 

Notwithstanding  the  sharpness  you  augur. 

Scarce  leaving  enough  to  pay  for  our  dinner ; 

Though,  thanks  be  to  God,  we  have  plenty  to  eat 

And  never  did  yet  our  landlady  cheat. 

As  to  ghosts  and  hobgoblins,  alas,  alas  ! 

You  do  well  to  believe  ;  for  a  numerous  class 

All  clothed  in  the  darkness  of  night  go  forth ; 

They  howl,  and  they  walk  to  and  fro  upon  earth ; 

They  seek  to  deceive  by  their  ill-gotten  power, 

Selecting,  of  course,  with  sedulous  care. 

Such  only  as  they  can  easily  ensnare. 

And  hope,  in  process  of  time,  to  devour. 

If  these  be  the  spirits  you  really  choose 

To  believe  and  receive,  pray  do  not  abuse 

The  bright  ones,  the  pure  ones,  who  in  broad  light  of  day 

Chase  all  the  dark  shadows  and  goblins  away. 

I  have  only  yet  spoken  of  things  I  opine 

Were  not  fully  weighed  in  that  mind  of  thine  ; 

Ideas  half-fledged,  from  their  shell  burst  forth. 

Their  sweetness  all  withered  by  premature  birth. 

I  speak  with  great  freedom  for  I  have  been  there, 

And  your  demisemiquavers  can  readily  share  : 

I  do  make,  even  now,  no  great  pretense. 

Submitting  unto  your  excellent  good  sense 

My  own  candidly-avowed  opinion ; 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  333 

For  argument  bold, —  your  supreme  dominion  — 

May  serve  to  unfold  the  germ  of  the  mind 

In  us  both,  may  be,  leaving  error  behind. 

In  all  that  remains,  I  am  with  you,  sincerely 

Endorsing  the  same  most  truly  and  fully  : 

Of  all  the  vile  frauds  that  e'er  have  been  known, 

There  can  be  none  worse  than  trampling  upon 

The  connecting  links  of  that  beautiful  chain. 

Which  unites  sons  of  eai-th  with  their  loved  in  heaven. 

Those  who  do  go  forth  to  steal  and  deceive, 

The  reward  for  their  labors  will  duly  receive  : 

Poor,  miserable  wretches  are  they,  indeed, 

Who  had,  as  you  say,  better  earn  their  bread 

By  labors  inside  penitentiary  walls. 

Until  they  will  listen  to  their  God,  who  calls 

Each  innermost  thought,  each  deed  to  account, 

And  strengthens  each  purpose  of  good  intent. 

The  humbug,  you  say,  has  been  "  clearly  proven 

(We  accept  your  statement,  wisely  chosen,) 

By  the  exposure  of  some  of  the  greatest 

Pretended  spiritualists."     This  protest 

Could  not  have  been  more  judiciously  made. 

More  truly  sanctioned  by  the  great  Fountain-head  ; 

For  be  ye  assured,  'tis  onl>j  the  pretended 

Whom  exposure  can  reach.     The  truths  engendered 

In  Spiritualism  all  tests  can  defy ; 

The  power,  and  the  wisdom,  come  from  God  on  high. 

All  may  not,  it  is  true,  hear  voices,  see  faces, 
From  the  spirit-land  ;  some  who  are  nervous. 
Their  system  disordered,  sec  Jirst  the  hobgoblins, 
But  if  they  arc  wise,  they'll  endeavor  to  cleanse 
The  nerves  of  their  system,  their  physical  health 
Keep  in  good  condition  ;  then  spirits  of  worth 
Will  doubtless  succeed  the  ghosts  of  hobgoblins, 
Who  feed  on  distress,  and  give  for  returns 
To  their  credulous  friends,  the  tale  of  a  demon 


334  THE    UNSEALED   BOOK. 

"VYho  rules  quite  too  well  his  subjects,  named  Legion, 
But  who  is  less  strong  than  he  seems  at  first 
When  crowing  so  boldly  as  cock  of  the  roost ; 
He's  plump  and  well  fed,  will  make  a  good  dinner, 
If  cooked  by  a  saint,  though  raised  by  a  sinner. 
As  I  know  your  dear  Ma,  I  'd  kindly  suggest, 
A  spirit  congenial  could  aid  you  the  most : 
For  to  her,  the  spirit  of  "old  Abshire" 
Will  never  be  able  to  get  very  near. 
Her  own  cherished  brother,  versed  in  heavenly  lore, 
Her  dearly  loved  children,  passed  on  before, 
O,  these  are  the  spirits  who  come  at  her  call. 
And  leave  a  glad  welcome  for  you  and  for  all. 
They  come  not  with  solemn  and  ghostly  tread. 
Proclaiming  themselves  to  be  morally  dead. 
One  comes  in  the  strength  of  his  manly  prime  : 
The  others,  as  in  their  bright  young  spring-time  , 
All  merry  and  happy  as  children  should  be, 
Your  Ma's  hearty  laugh  but  adds  to  their  glee. 
Good-by,  my  dear  friend  :  I  trust  that  in  time. 
New  beauties  you  '11  see,  in  the  teachings  sublime 
Which  spirits  above  to  mortals  below 
So  freely,  and  truly,  do  strive  to  convey, 
And  will,  by  your  own  sweet  accorded  requests, 
Have  only  the  good,  and  the  pure,  for  your  guests. 


At  the  earnest  solicitation  of  the  friend  who  received  the  fore- 
going letter,  I  insert  his  reply  to  the  writer  thereof.  I  demurred 
on  account  of  the  "  soft  soap  "  it  contains,  and  which  should  be 
interpreted  only  as  a  piece  of  pleasantry.  I  will  further  say  he 
is  the  only  conscious  contributor  to  this  work,  being  the  only 
friend  who  is  aware  of  its  character. 

"  Well  now,  Jennie,  is  it  not  a  shame  that  you  should  write 
such  invectives  against  a  poor,  despised  and  forlorn  Christian 
lady,  who  has  the  good  of  you,  and  all  she  comes  in  contact  with, 
at  heart.    A  woman  who  would  spend  the  last  cent  she  had  on 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  335 

earth  to  serve  the  needy  and  feed  the  hungry  —  a  woman  of  all 
women  I  ever  saw  who  came  any  ways  near  the  spiritual  injunc- 
tion *  do  unto  others  as  you  would  have  them  do  unto  you.' 

Were  you  acquainted  with  her  and  found  out  her  good  quali- 
ties, you  would  exclaim  in  surprise:  Did  I  ever  see  such  a  good, 
unselfish  creature  in  all  my  life !  How  cruel  it  was  in  me  to 
abuse  her  to  my  Ma  when  I  did  not  even  know  her  name,  to  say 
nothing  of  her  mission,  her  charitableness  and  unselfislmess, 
though  crosses  and  trials  she  has  been  subjected  to  through  life's 
troublesome  journey.  How  honest  she  is  in  all  her  dealings, 
and  how  frank  she  is  in  her  spiritual  manifestations  and  ex- 
periences; no  deceiving  there — all  truth  and  reliance  upon  that 
God  who  rules  all  heaven  and  earth  by  the  same  power  and 
influence,  that  all  may  be  brought  to  learn  and  love  the  spiritual 
communion  whereby  the  salvation  of  the  immortal  souls  travel- 
ing onward  and  upward  through  the  'spheres'  of  the  spirit  land, 
may  finally  reach  the  abode  of  those  who  learn  to  love  and  glorify 
the  Redeemer  of  all  mankind  —  the  first  great  medium  sent  by 
God  himself  to  appear  in  the  form  of  man,  to  prove  man's  im- 
mortality, and  that  man  never  dies,  but  lives  eternally.  Christ's 
remark  to  the  thief  on  the  cross,  '  This  day  shalt  thou  be  with  me 
in  paradise,'  proves  that  the  grave  held,  or  holds,  nothing  but  the 
body.  Christ  re-appearing  in  the  form,  together  with  a  multi- 
tude of  other  cases  noted  in  the  Scriptures,  proves  that  spirits  can 
come  back  and  communicate;  and  recent  developments  and  sci- 
entific examinations  prove  that  they  do  now  communicate  with 
us  in  various  ways. 

Therefore,  I  beg  of  you  to  at  least  'try  the  spirits.'  For  what- 
ever I  say  unto  you,  let  it  be  understood  that  I  wish  you  to  be  of 
good  cheer,  and  grateful  for  the  privileges  you  enjoy,  and  allow 
the  same  to  all  who  live  conscientiously  and  deserve  respect  for 
the  opinions  they  give.  Let  this  experience  be  of  a  lasting  na- 
ture, and  a  treasure  of  wealth  in  the  future,  when  the  dismal  days 
come  when  work  and  toil  ceases,  and  a  general  cleaning-up  of  a 
life-time  of  discord  and  trouble  —  the  trash  thrown  to  one  side, 
and  the  bright,  burnished  vessels  of  love  and  gratitude  arranged 
for  inspection  by  the  great  '  I  Am '  —  the  sweet  smiles  of  a  good 
conscience,  with  pleasant  recollections  of  past  deeds  of  goodness 
radiating  and  enlivening  the  scene  around  which  centres  the 
precious  memory  of  a  well-spent  life  in  securing  a  foot-hold  in 


336  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

that  spirit-land,  where  all  may  learn  that  this  earth  is  not  the 
real  home  of  mankind,  and  that  we  were  not  made  to  be  damned 
because  of  bad,  or  no,  teachings  suitable  to  our  understanding, 
and  that  punishment  follows  according  to  grades  of  wickedness 
enacted,  and  that  a  bright  and  glorious  future  may  be  obtained 
by  imj)rovement  of  the  will-spirit  in  fortifying  ourselves  against 
all  wicked,  lying  influences,  and  building  up  good  and  holy  influ- 
ences to  be  ever  guided  by  them  in  exchange  —  to  aid  the  faith 
that  is  in  us,  that  we  may  rise  high  above  the  spheres  of  earthly 
influences  to  an  everlasting  abode  among  the  great  and  good  who 
have  gone  on  before  us,  rejoicing  in  the  glorious  redemption  of 
man  and  his  reception  on  the  bright  hills  of  Zion." 


The  following  extract  is  from  the  letter  of  an  intimate  and 
kindly-cherished  friend,  but  whose  criticism  on  our  first  work, 
which  has  been  already  inserted  in  this,  was  so  intensely  severe, 
it  gave  us  much  surprise,  especially  so,  coming  from  one  enter- 
taining, as  we  had  reason  to  believe,  similar  views  to  our  own. 
In  consideration  of  this  fact,  we  deem  it  but  just  that  her  own 
vindication  should  also  be  made  public,  having  never  for  a  mo- 
ment doubted  the  sincerity  of  her  personal  friendship. 


"I  find  a  good  many  ready  to  discourage  me  m  the  course  I 
am  taking,  but  they  fail  utterly  in  changing  my  determination  ; 
why,  it  is  a  part  of  my  life  ;  how  could  I  give  it  up?  I  did  not 
know  but  that  in  sending  my  last  letter  I  should  lose  your  friend- 
ship forever,  and  really  think  I  deserve  to  do  so.  Although  I 
wrote  it,  I  did  not  compose  one  word  of  it  myself,  and  I  hesitated 
long  before  sending  it.  as  some  of  it  did  not  at  all  accord  with  my 
mind.  There  are  truths  in  your  book,  which,  did  people  know  and 
understand,  would  elevate  them  immeasurably  from  wliat  they  are 
now.  You  are  spending  your  strength,  time,  and  life  itself  in 
search  after,  and  helping  others  to  find,  the  true  way,  and  if  you 
are  not  appreciated  here,  in  the  upper  realms  you  are  known  and 
understood.  Yours  is  a  beautiful  life,  filled  with  self-sacrifice 
from  which  the  strongest  nature  would  shrink.  It  do  n't  seem, 
now,  that  I  could  live  such  a  life ;  but  no  one  knows  their  powers 
of  endurance  until  tried.    It  seems  to  me  lately  that  I  am  not 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  337 

growing  mucli  toward  the  better  life,  only  I  am  trying  to  be  more 
patient  toward  others;  but  it  is  a  long,  hard  struggle  which  people 
with  angelic  dispositions  know  nothing  of." 

Servant  of  the  living  God,  for  truly 

Thou  art  such,  should  I  blame  thee  for  nobly 

Performing  a  duty  imposed  upon  thee 

By  a  spirit  of  wisdom  far  exceeding, 

Thine  or  mine  ?     Nay,  far  be  it  from  me.     Had 

It  been  the  language  of  thine  own  heart,  I 

Migiit  have  said.  The  wounds  of  a  friend  are  faithful ; 

I  might  have  known  that  for  each  pang  of  pain 

Thou  didst  unwillingly  inflict,  a  sharper 

Dart  did  pierce  thine  own  unflinching  soul.     These 

Were,  indeed,  the  thoughts  which  first  unto  me 

Came  ;  but  as  I  mused  and  pondered  well,  a 

Light  broke  in  upon  my  soul,  and  I  exclaimed, 

Surely,  some  spirit  hath  done  this,  and  with 

A  wise  intent ;  I  must  search  out  the  purpose 

Deftly  hid,  apply  the  same,  a  lesson 

From  it  glean.     Then  came  to  me  such  thoughts  as 

These  :     As  is  thy  friend  in  thine  eyes,  so  art 

Thou  in  the  eyes  of  those  thou  fain  wouldst  instruct ; 

As  she,  in  years,  hath  not  attained  thine  age. 

Thou  scarce  from  her,  instruction  would  expect. 

Or  heed  ;  't  is  thus  with  thine  and  thee  ;  themselves 

They  think  more  capable  of  thee  instructing  ; 

Thy  friend  was  once  with  thee  in  mind  and  heart ; 

Then  how  is  this  ?     She  has  of  course  been  led 

Astray,  at  least  it  so  unto  you  appears  ; 

You  blame  her  not,  doubt  not  her  integrity 

Of  heart  and  purpose,  would  willingly  and 

Gladly  her  aid  and  restore.     This,  then,  is 

A  fair  representation  of  thine  own 

Life  and  labors  in  the  estimation 

Of  tliiue  earthly  friends  ;  their  sentiments  they 

From  thee  withold,  condemming  thee  not,  but 


338  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

Saying  within  themselves,  Poor  child  !  she 's  been 
Led  astray.     I  am  so  sorry  for  her  ! 

As  thoughts  like  these  my  bosom  filled,  a  peace 
Serene  stole  o'er  my  soul,  while  in  my  heart 
I  said,  The  Lord  my  God  hath  spoken  once, 
And  in  his  own  good  time  he  will  vouchsafe 
This  death-like  silence  to  remove,  restore 
Me  to  my  loved  and  loving  ones  once  more. 
As  she,  my  friend,  by  higher  ones  impressed, 
Did  fill  my  soul  with  wonderment ;  so  I, 
Likewise,  a  wonder  am  unto  mine  own. 
As  I  at  first  saw  not  behind  the  veil. 
Imputing  to  my  friend  what  she  d  eclares 
Herself  did  not  one  word  compose  ;  so  they 
Do  unto  me  ascribe  all  which  through  me 
Has  been  produced.     As  time  soon  wrought  in  me 
A  change,  my  spirit-vision  did  unseal ; 
So,  likewise,  will  they  behold  a  power  divine, 
Give  to  the  Lord  the  honor  due,  seek  truth 
Alone,  and  it  embrace  wherever  found. 
However  clothed  ;  the  texture  of  its  robes 
Is  sometimes  wrought  in  finest  gold  :  again, 
Unseemly  coarse  its  garb.     This  last  we  feel. 
Might  well  apply  unto  the  "  work  "  issued 
By  us.     Yet  truth  is  there,  unpolished  though 
It  be. 

Our  thanks,  kind  friend,  for  all  which  you  to  us 
Have  given.     The  last  from  thee,  seems  more  like  to 
Thyself :  yet  for  the  first  we  thank  thee  most, 
And  well  thou  knowest  why  :  to  give,  'tis  said, 
More  blessed  is  than  to  receive  ;  yet  in 
Our  case  this  rule  will  not  apply  ;  blessed 
Indeed  are  they  who  pleasure  only  are 
Called  to  give  their  loved  ones  ;  when  duty  bids 
Us  pain  inflict,  ourselves  must  bear  by  far 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK  339 

The  largest  share.     We  feel  thou  hast  our  goodness 

Overrated  much  ;  what  e'er  iu  us  is 

Praiseworthy,  comes  from  a  power  beyond  ourselves. 

May  heaven's  choicest  blessings  thee  attend, 
Guiding  unto  the  better  life  thou  art 
Seeking.     Patience  a  virtue  is,  truly  : 
Angelic  its  attainments,  for  but  few  it 
Possess,  without  strivings  numberless. 


Where  little  is  expressed,  much  is  often  implied;  for  example: 
"As  to  our  difference  of  opinion,  I  think  we  had  better  not  allude 
to  it;  you  need  not  have  any  fears,  but  what  if  G-od  wants  me 
convei'ted  to  some  new  belief,  and  I  say  it  with  all  reverence,  he 
will  find  out  his  own  way." 


Pray  don't  be  alarmed,  I  know  the  good  Lord 

Has  all  iu  his  sacred  keeping ; 
Yet  none  can  partake  of  heavenly  food, 

Wliile  they  do  prefer  sound  sleeping. 
If  you  think  that  I  your  soul's  conversion 

Would  undertake,  you  are,  alas. 
Deceiving  yourself,  and  quite  mistaken  ; 

I  labor  for  a  wiser  class. 
I  hear  all  around,  friends  asldng  for  bread. 

In  tones  which  show  they  it  do  crave  ; 
And  all  such  as  these  'tis  pleasure  to  feed 

With  manna  sent  from  heaven  above. 
Unless  disarranged,  the  stomach  will  tell 

What  kind  of  food,  when  it  requii*cs 
The  same  ;  'tis  needless  then,  to  it  assail. 

And  worse  than  useless,  food  io  force. 
If  ye  darkness  choose  in  the  place  of  light, 

O,  slumber  on  till  you  awiilve, 
And  find  by  the  sun's  meridian  height 
You  're  quite  behindhand  with  your  work. 


340  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

Your  neighbors  arose  ere  the  sun  grew  hot, 
Their  hardest  tasks  performed  with  ease 

And  now  have  found  them  si  cool  retreat, 
Where  they  enjoy  the  gentle  breeze. 

For  "  if  the  God  within  says  '  well  done,'  what  are  other  gods 
to  thee  ?  "  "  This  God  is  our  God  for  ever  and  ever :  He  will  be 
our  guide  even  unto  death." 

A  friend  thus  writes :  "  If  you  have  not  found  the  haven  of 
mental  peace,  you  are  only  like  others,  that  could  be  numbered 
by  millions.  Pure  mental  contentment  is  not  for  this  sphere ;  we 
mai/  find  it  beyond.  I  have  passed  through  the  storm,  but 
whether  unhurt  or  not  I  cannot  as  yet  say;  at  any  rate, I  have 
learned  many  things,  of  which  I  was  before  either  ignorant,  or 
unmindful ;  and  I  have  often  asked  myself,  Have  I  paid  more 
than  I  have  received,  or  received  more  than  I  have  paid  ?  but  I 
cannot  decide.  I  have  often  wished  myself  thousands  of  miles 
away,  where  I  might  work  out  my  own  destiny  unfettered,  among 
new  scenes  and  surroundings.  Life  is  a  mystery  that  each  soul 
must  solve  for  itself,  for  good  or  for  evil :  and  in  many  cases  we 
cannot  tell  which  is  which ;  what  we  call  evil  or  good  to-day,  is 
reversed  to-morrow  :  it  has  been  so  through  all  ages,  and  will  so 
continue  to  the  end.  You  are  leaving  behind  you  the  teachings 
of  former  years,  and  breaking  away  from  the  system  of  religion 
called  orthodoxy  ;  I  knew  you  would,  and  am  glad  of  it.  It  has 
been  good  in  its  day,  but  the  day  of  its  usefulness  is  past,  for  as 
it  is  preached  to-day,  it  does  not  contain  one  particle  of  inherent 
truth  ;  it  is  an  obstruction,  a  barricade,  that  checks  the  progress 
of  truth,  and  would  crush  unto  death  both  you  and  me,  and  all 
like  us,  who  desire  truth,  no  matter  from  whence  it  comes,  or 
whither  it  goeth;  but  I  must  not  complain, —  whatever  is,  is 
right,  I  suppose.  Keep  up  good  courage,  do  n't  give  up  the  ship ; 
Eight  will  triumph  over  error,  as  surely  as  the  day  succeeds  the 
night." 

As  to  having  found  an  haven  of  mental  peace,  friend,  your  own 
rendering  —  mental  contentment  —  expresses  more  correctly  our 
sentiments,  "  for  we  feel  that  as  yet  we  have  caught  but  the  first 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  341 

beams  of  a  glorious  day,  now  dawning,  whose  light  shall  be  such 
as  earth  has  never  yet  seen.  Like  dwellers  in  the  shady  valley, 
who  have  begun  to  ascend  the  mountains  that  before  had  limited 
their  view,  and  are  enabled  to  take  in  a  wider  range  of  vision, 
we  see  those  eminences  of  truth  which  once  seemed  the  vei-y  pil- 
lars of  heaven,  over-topped  by  others  then  hidden  from  view,  but 
of  still  greater  magnitude,  and  the  whole  landscape  assumes  a 
new  appearance.  Thus  we  expect  the  view  will  continue  to 
change  and  to  enlarge  as  we  ascend,  and  we  know  not  what 
heights  are  before  us.  For  '  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  the  last  days 
that  the  mountain  of  the  Lord's  house  shall  be  established  in  the 
TOP  of  the  mountains,  and  shall  be  exalted  above  the  hills ;  and  all 
nations  shall  flow  unto  it.'  These  'last  days,'  so  long  predicted, 
we  believe  are  now  dawning  upon  tlie  Avorld." 

Life,  as  you  say,  is  a  mystery  which  each  soul  must  solve  for 
itself;  for  in  all  this  wide,  created  universe,  there  exists  no  two 
souls  in  such  perfect  harmony  with  each  other  that  they  arrive  at 
exactly  the  same  conclusions,  or  whose  conceptions  of  good  and 
evil  are  one  and  the  same.  Truth  is  incapable  of  change,  though 
continually  subverted  by  our  misconceptions  regarding  it;  and 
may  we  not  say  the  same  of  good  and  evil  ?  Each  new  develop- 
ment of  philosoi)hy,  science,  or  religion  which  forces  itself  upon 
us,  awakens  within  us  new  convictions,  absolutely  exjielling  old- 
estal)lished  opinions  which  cannot  be  adjusted  by,  and  are  in  op- 
position to,  demonstrable  truths. 


"  Alas  for  human  reason  1  all  is  change 

Ceaseless  and  strange  ; 
All  ages  form  new  systems,  leaving  heirs 

To  cancel  theirs : 
The  future  can  but  imitate  the  past, 
And  instability  alone  will  last. 

Is  there  no  compass  left,  by  which  to  steer 

This  erring  sphere  ? 

No  tie  that  may  indissolubly  bind 

To  God  mankind  ? 

"So  code  that  may  defy  time's  sharjiest  tooth  ? 

No  fixed,  immutable,  unerring  truth  ? 

There  is  1  there  is  1  —  one  primitive  and  sure 

Keligion  pure, 


342  THE    UNSEALED   BOOK. 

Unchanged  in  spirit,  though  its  forms  and  codes 

Wear  myriad  modes, 
Contains  all  creeds  within  its  mighty  span  — 
The  love  of  God,  displayed  in  love  of  man." 


"  The  same  process  will  continue  to  be  required,  till  men  shall 
see  the  folly  of  attempting  to  confine  their  expanding  natures 
within  the  infantile  garments  of  the  past,  or  to  crowd  a  universe 
of  truth  into  the  meagre  limits  of  a  creed."  If  this  be  what  is 
inferred  by  "  breaking  away  from  or'thodoxy,^'  I  fully  accord  with 
you  in  sentiment,  totally  disregarding  all  obligations  or  limita- 
tions, either  expressed  or  implied,  which  are  inconsistent  with 
my  present  views,  or  may  hereafter  be  found  to  conflict  with  the 
progressive  unfoldings  of  future  enlightenment;  at  the  same  time 
I  feel  assured  that  there  are  countless  numbers  of  "regularly  con- 
stituted "  orthodox  pastors  and  preachers  who  teach  theoretically, 
and  often  unconsciously  to  themselves,  the  great  fundamental 
principles  upon  which  spiritualism,  ancient  and  modern,  is  based, 
thus  educating  and  preparing  the  minds  of  their  hearers  for  the 
acceptation  of  the  theory  which  they  advance  and  promulgate, 
but  fail  to  realize  or  acknowledge. 


"  Superstition  must  throw  off  Keligion's  disguise  ; 
For  men,  now  enlightened,  not  darkling  like  owls, 
While  they  reverence  priests  who  are  holy  and  wise, 
Will  no  longer  be  hoodwinked  by  cassocks  or  cowls. 

Nay,  even  in  England,  my  latest  stronghold, 

And  the  firmest  support  of  my  paramount  sway 

(In  Gath  or  in  Askelon  be  it  not  told). 

All  my  orthodox  bulwarks  are  crumbling  away. 

And  what  though  each  orthodox  candidate  swears 
To  my  thirty-nine  Articles  ;  '  tis  but  a  jest. 

Since  a  bishop  {prohpudor!),  a  bishop  declares. 

That  such  oaths  are  a  form,  never  meant  as  a  test. 

But  now  when  men,  turning  from  dogmas  to  deeds. 
Bear  the  scriptural  dictum  of  Jesus  in  mind. 

That  salvation  depends  not  on  canons  and  creeds. 
But  on  love  of  the  Lord,  and  love  of  our  kind. 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK  343 

My  voice  can  be  heard  and  my  arguments  weighed ; 

WhicJi  explains  why  such  numerous  converts  of  late 
Are  under  my  love-breathing  standard  arrayed, 

Who  once,  beneath  yours,  were  excited  to  hate." 


Nay,  friend,  to  "  give  up  the  ship,"  would  be  not  only  an  absurd- 
ity, but  an  impossiblity.  If  our  courage  falters,  it  is  from  no 
doubts  as  to  the  ministry  of  angels,  for  neither  you  nor  I  could  fail 
to  recognize  the  innumerable  tokens  of  their  angelic  interposition 
and  care;  although  it  might  be  said  of  us,  as  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Newton :  "  They  do  not  find  this  ministry  to  be  exercised  merely, 
or  mainly,  for  the  purpose  of  promoting  worldly  interests,  of  sav- 
ing from  the  perplexities  and  mistakes  incidental  to  the  legiti- 
mate use  of  their  proper  faculties.  Nor  yet  altogether  for  the 
purpose  of  smoothing  the  pathway  of  life,  and  of  preserving  from 
trials,  or  even  from  sufferings  of  the  intensest  nature.  In  this, 
however,  they  recognize  the  highest  wisdom ;  for  they  have 
learned  that  trials,  perplexities,  struggles,  are  indispensable  to  a 
vigorous  growth ;  that  suffering  is  the  refiner's  Jire  ;  and  hence, 
that  in  a  true  and  wise  discipline,  these  must  be  expected  to  have 
their  part.  Those  who  lack  this  rugged  experience,  are  likely  to 
be  infantile  and  imbecile.  Exalted  privileges  are  to  be  obtained 
only  at  corresponding  costs.  Hence,  the  higher  offices  of  angelic 
ministration,  are  not  so  much  to  save  from  this  kind  of  experience, 
as  to  impart  inivard  strength,  to  give  spiritual  illumination,  to 
inspire  with  celestial  love,  and  to  lead  at  length  to  complete  repose 
in  the  Divine.  Such  aid  enables  all  tried,  and  struggling,  and 
suffering  ones,  not  to  escape  the  cross,  but  by  it,  to  rise  to  loftier 
and  nobler  realizations  of  life."  Right,  as  you  say,  must  prevail 
over  wrong.  Truth,  mighty,  ever-blessed  truth,  must  and  will 
triumph  over  error.     0 !  may  it  spread, — 

"Till  earth,  redeemed  from  every  hateful  leaven, 

;Makos  peace  with  heaven  : 
Below,  one  blessed  brotherhood  of  love  ; 
One  Father,  worshiped  with  one  voice,  above  1 " 

Yea,  we  will  boldly  speak  and  live  the  truth  as  it  is  revealed 
unto  us,  despite  the  persecutions  of  those  who  dare  not  acknowl- 
edge or  receive  a  truth  not  recognized  in  the  canons  of  the  OhurcL 


344  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

If  we  have  been  made  the  recipients  of  a  higher  knowledge,  a 
more  excellent  wisdom,  it  is  by  and  through  the  grace  and  power 
of  tne  infinite  and  eternal  God  whom  we  serve.  Did  the  fate  of 
a  martyr  await  us,  we  could  pursue  none  other  course;  were  the 
dungeon,  the  rack,  and  the  fagot,  staring  us  in  the  face,  we  could 
only  say  with  Luther,  "  Mat  God  help  us  :  we  cax  speak  no 
OTHERWISE."  Then  let  us  labor  boldly  still,  and  bravely  stem 
the  rolling  tide,  most  truly  thankful  if  it  be 

"Our  happy  fate 
To  drop  some  tribute,  trifling  though  it  prove, 
On  the  thrice-hallowed  altar  dedicate 
To  man's  impro^'ement,  truth,  and  social  love. 

Faith  in  our  race's  elevation, 

And  its  incessant  progress  to  the  goal, 
Tends,  by  existing  hope  and  emulation, 

To  realize  the  aspirings  of  the  soul. 

How  sweet  it  is,  when  wearied  with  the  jars 
Of  wrangling  sects,  each  soured  with  bigot  leaven, 

To  let  the  spirit  burst  its  prison  bars. 
And  soar  into  the  deep  repose  of  Heaven! " 

From  a  pamphlet  entitled  "  The  Ministry  of  Angels  Eealized," 
being  a  letter  addressed  to  the  Edwards  Congregational  Church, 
Boston,  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.  E.  Newton,  members  of  that  church, 
we  extract  the  following  symbolic  and  instructive  visions  :  "  Those 
selected  for  description  here  are  necessarily  brief  and  simple,  and 
the  descriptions  have  been  written  out  from  memory,  months 
after  the  visions  were  given,  by  one  who  simply  listened  to  their 
recital  when  given ;  and  hence  they  afford  but  a  meagre  idea  of 
the  beauty  of  the  language,  or  the  gorgeousness  and  exquisite  ap- 
propriateness of  the  imagery,  employed  in  more  elaborate  and 
profound  representations." 

THE   CARPET   WEAVERS. 

[This  vision  was  given  in  the  presence  of  a  large  company  of 
persons,  mostly  strangers  to  the  visionist,  assembled  for  social 
purposes.  She  perceived  that  great  numbers  of  spirits  were  pres- 
ent, all  urgent  to  make  themselves  known  to  their  earthly  friends  ; 


THE   UNSEALED  BOOK.  345 

but  seeing  that  to  be  impracticable  on  the  occasion,  they  had  con- 
sulted together,  and  decided  that  one  or  two  of  the  more  advanced 
of  their  number  should  present  something  which  might  convey 
pleasure  and  profit  to  all.  A  panoramic  scene  then  opened  before 
her  vision,  which  she  described  as  it  passed,  not  having  herself 
the  slightest  idea,  in  advance,  of  what  was  to  follow.  The  follow- 
ing will  give  but  a  faint  conception  of  it.] 

"  I  see  each  person  present  engaged  in  weaving  a  carpet.  These 
carpets  are  symbolic  of  your  varied  lives.  The  magnetic  life-cords 
■which  unite  your  hearts  with  the  infinite  Source  of  life  form  the 
warp  of  these  carpets,  and  your  every  act,  and  word,  and  thought, 
are  the  filling,  which,  day  by  day,  and  hour  by  hour,  you  are 
weaving  in.  Some  of  your  carpets,  I  perceive,  are  very  beautiful ; 
the  figures  are  all  perfectly  formed,  the  fabric  is  soft  and  pleas- 
ant to  walk  upon,  while  those  of  others  are  badly  woven  ;  they 
have  made  mistakes  sometimes,  and  have  been  obliged  to  go  back, 
take  out  their  work,  and  do  it  over  again ;  and  when  done  the 
second  time,  it  looks  botched  and  imperfect;  the  figures  are  badly 
formed,  they  do  not  match  well,  and  nobody  walks  upon  them 
with  pleasure.  By  describing  thus  the  carpet  which  I  see  each  one 
forming,  I  could  doubtless  give  the  characteristics  and  something 
of  the  life-history  of  each  individual  present.  [This  same  symbol 
was  once  afterwards  repeated  in  the  presence  of  some  four  or  five 
individuals,  equally  strangers  to  the  visionist ;  and  all  acknowledged 
that  their  characters,  and  the  important  incidents  of  their  lives,  for 
many  years  in  the  past,  were  correctly  symbolized  in  the  widely 
varying  descriptions  which  were  presented.]  But  as  that  might 
not  be  pleasant  to  all,  I  am  directed  to  select  one  of  the  more  beau- 
tiful, and  give  you  some  account  of  tliat.  It  is  the  richest  and 
the  softest  that  I  ever  saw.  Angels  even  love  to  walk  u})on  it  and 
admire  its  beauties,  while  to  the  foot-sore  and  weary  of  earth  it 
is  specially  grateful.  The  weaver  has  just  completed  a  most  superb 
figure  in  her  carpet.  It  represents  a  basket  or  boquet  of  flowers. 
They  are  so  fresh  and  real  that  the  very  perfume  exhales  ui)on 
the  atmosphci-c,  and  little  cherubs,  like  humming-birds,  gather 
sweetness  from  the  oj)ening  buds.  The  angels  say  that  upon  tlie 
under  side  of  the  carpet  may  be  seen  a  picture  of  the  scene  in  the 
life  of  the  weaver,  which  has  formed  the  pattern  by  which  this 
beautiful  figure  has  been  wrought.  They  let  me  look  upon  the 
under  side,  and  this  is  the  picture  I  see :     A  lady  is  passing  along 


346  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

the  street  on  a  cold  December  day ;  slie  sees,  standing  upon  a 
corner,  a  poor  boy,  miserably  clad,  and  bare-footed,  with  a  basket 
on  his  arm;  he  is  crying.  Other  ladies,  richly  attired,  have  heard 
his  sobs,  but  have  passed  haughtily  and  unfeelingly  by.  This 
lady  stops,  and  asks  him  why  he  weeps.  He  says,  "  My  poor 
mother  is  sick  at  home ;  I  have  no  father ;  we  have  no  fire 
or  wood ;  my  little  sisters  are  crying  of  cold  and  hunger,  and  I 
do  n't  know  what  to  do."  Her  heart  is  touched ;  she  tells  him 
she  will  go  home  with  him,  and  see  if  he  tells  a  true  tale.  She 
accompanies  him  to  a  cheerless  home,  and  finds  all  too  true.  She 
at  once  supplies  their  needs,  sends  a  physician,  and  hope  and  joy 
dawn  once  more  on  those  suffering  ones.  This  is  the  deed  which 
has  formed  so  beautiful  and  rich  a  figure  in  this  carpet.  [The 
lady  to  whom  this  applied  was  almost  a  stranger  to  us,  and 
we  never  learned  whether  the  scene  described  had  actually  taken 
place,  only  we  were  informed,  by  those  acquainted  with  her,  that 
she  was  in  the  habit  of  doing  just  such  things,^  and  you  who 
would  weave  a  life-carpet  soft  with  the  living  verdure  of  kind  acts, 
and  rich  with  the  perfume  of  loving  deeds,  a  carpet  on  which 
those  who  come  after  you  may  delight  to  walk,  and  which  angels 
may  condescend  to  admire, — go  and  do  likewise" 

THE    LAMB. 

[A  young  man  called  one  day  upon  Mrs.  N.  for  sympathy  and 
consolation.  He  was  in  deep  affliction,  having  been  treated  with 
great  injustice  and  severity,  at  a  time  of  physical  illness,  by  those 
upon  whom  he  was  dependent.  As  she  sat  conversing  with  him, 
the  following  scene  was  presented  to  her  vision :] 

"  I  see  before  me  a  little  lamb,  meek  and  gentle ;  and  near  by, 
stands  what  appears  to  be  a  shepherd.  The  shepherd  has  a  most  be- 
nignant countenance,  and  is  clothed  in  a  fleecy  robe  of  the  softest 
and  purest  white.  The  lamb  looks  upon  this  resplendent  robe, 
and  then  upon  its  own  fleece;  and,  by  the  comparison,  it  sees  the 
latter  to  be  coarse,  and  dark,  and  soiled.  It  appears  to  desire  a 
purer  fleece,  and  to  ask  the  shepherd  how  it  shall  obtain  a  gar- 
ment like  his  own.  The  shepherd  tells  the  lamb  that  if  it  ear- 
nestly desires  to  become  whiter,  it  must  submit  to  the  bleaching 
process,  and  asks  if  it  is  willing  to  pass  through  suffering  in  order 
to  attain  the  desired  object.    The  lamb  hesitates  a  moment,  and 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  347 

then  seems  to  answer,  'Yes;  I  will  endure  anything,  if  I  can 
only  have  a  robe  as  white  as  yours.'  The  shepherd  then  points 
to  a  storm  that  is  raging,  and  tells  the  lamb  that  if  it  will  stand 
out  in  that  storm,  its  fleece  will  be  purified ;  and  he  then  disap- 
pears. The  lamb  bravely  meets  the  storm  ;  the  rain  beats  heavily 
upon  it,  the  cold  winds  chill  it ;  none  of  its  companions  are  near 
to  give  it  sympathy;  it  trembles  and  bleats,  and  sometimes  al- 
most sinks  under  the  trial.  But  at  length  the  storm  has  jiassed, 
and  the  shepherd  comes  again.  The  little  fleece  has  indeed  been 
made  much  whiter;  but,  alas!  the  poor  lamb  sees  that  it  is  yet 
nowhere  near  as  white  as  the  shepherd's  robe. 

The  shepherd  asks  if  it  still  desires  to  have  a  robe  like  his  own, 
and  if  it  is  willing  to  pass  through  another  purifying  process. 
Tremblingly  and  trustingly  the  little  creature  still  answers.  Yes; 
and  then  the  shepherd  directs  his  attendants  to  make  certain 
necessary  pi-eparations.  They  bring  what  looks  like  a  large  urn 
or  vase,  and  invert  it  over  the  lamb,  so  as  to  inclose  the  little 
creature  beyond  the  possibility  of  escape.  Then  they  bring  a  fur- 
nace of  living  coals,  and  place  that,  too,  underneath  the  inverted 
vase.  Ah!  it  is  very  hot  in  there;  but  there  is  no  retreat  for  the 
little  suflerer.  I  see  that  the  bottom  of  the  vase  is  formed  of 
glass,  so  that,  as  it  is  inverted,  the  lamb  can  look  out  from  its 
prison-house  directly  upioards,  but  in  no  other  direction.  As  the 
heat  increases  it  glances  imploringly  up  through  the  opening, 
and  its  eyes  catch  those  of  the  tender  shepherd,  bending  over, 
and  looking  most  benignantly  and  encouragingly  down  upon  it. 
Fixing  its  eyes  upon  the  shepherd's,  it  finds  itself  able  to  stand 
nearer  and  still  nearer  the  furnace,  and  to  endure  greater  and 
still  greater  degrees  of  heat.  It  bleats  with  pain,  and  cries  out 
for  release. 

The  sho])herd  says,  'A  little  longer;  the  more  you  endure,  the 
whiter  will  be  your  fleece.'  0,  how  it  swelters,  and  struggles, 
and  bleats !  Now  the  word  is  given,  and  release  is  granted. 
Trembling  and  weak,  the  little  sufferer  sees  that  its  fleece  has 
been  made,  0,  so  much  whiter  !  But  still  it  finds  that  it  is  not 
even  yet  as  pure  as  the  Master's.  Now  it  sees  a  number  of  its 
companions  approaching  ;  they  have  been  wandering  through 
rugged  and  thorny  paths  ;  their  fleeces  have  been  torn  from  their 
sides,  which  are  bleeding  with  wounds;  they  are  cold,  and  weak 
with  hunger.    Prompted  by  kindly  impulses,  the  lamb  goes  to 


348  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

meet  them  ;  it  presses  its  own  soft  and  warm  fleece  against  their 
naked  sides,  and,  wherever  it  does  so,  its  fleece  adheres  to  them, 
making  them  warm  and  beautiful,  but  leaving  itself  naked.  It 
continues  thus  to  hover  around  these  needy  ones,  until,  in  self- 
forgetfulness,  it  ha.^  parted  entirely  with  the  beautiful  fleece  it  had 
suffered  so  7nuch  to  acquire.  Then  it  goes  meekly  away  by  itself, 
and  lies  down  to  repose,  seeming  to  say,  with  perfect  trust,  '  The 
Good  Shepherd  will  take  care  of  me,  even  though  I  have  no  fleece.' 
Now  I  see,  descending  from  the  skies,  a  large,  white  dove.  As  it 
extends  its  ample  wings,  I  perceive  them  lined  with  a  profusion  of 
what  looks  like  the  softest  eider  down.  The  dove  hovers  over 
the  .sleeping  lamb,  and  shelters  it  beneath  its  brooding  Avings. 
Now  it  soars  away  again  to  the  skies,  leaving  the  lamb  all  enveloped 
in  a  doiuny  fleece,  soft  and  pure  as  the  shepherd's  role.'' 

THE   CROSS   AND   ITS   SIGNATURE. 

[Sitting  one  evening  with  Mrs.  N., —  one  other  individual,  who 
had  casually  come  in,  being  present, —  she  became  unexpectedly 
conscious  of  the  approach  of  a  spiritual  being,  whom  she  described 
as  a  female,  and  as  excelling  in  brightness  and  beauty.  The  in- 
terview which  succeeded  was  substantially  as  follows  :] 

"  The  angel  says,  '  I  am  a  messenger  from  the  seventh  circle.  I 
come  as  a  representative  from  the  abode  of  harmony  and  peace,  to 
unfold  to  you  a  new  and  more  glorious  pathway  to  this  abode 
than  has  ever  yet  been  open  to  your  conceptions  ! '  She  leads  on, 
and  I  follow.  We  are  ascending  a  pathway.  There  are  mountains 
on  either  side,  and  the  sceuery,  the  flowers,  the  rocks,  the  trees, 
everything  as  we  pass  along  is  full  of  significance  ;  but  I  cannot 
fully  perceive  nor  describe  its  meaning.  The  atmosphere  is  purer 
as  we  advance,  and  now  it  seems  more  refined  than  any  I  ever 
breathed  before.  Now  we  have  reached  an  eminence,  and  my 
guide  bids  me  pause  and  look.  I  see  before  me  representations 
of  the  scenes,  first  of  Jesus  in  the  garden  of  Gethsemane,  and 
then  on  the  Cross  of  Calvary.  How  vivid  and  impressive  !  But 
I  am  called  to  pass  on.  Now  we  have  ascended  a  much  higher 
eminence,  from  which,  as  I  look  down,  the  whole  world  appears 
spread  out  before  me,  with  all  its  people  and  their  busy  avocations. 
I  see  that  in  all  the  varied  paths  of  human  life,  crosses  are  erected 
on  almost  every  eminence.    There  are  great  numbers  of  them, 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  349 

one  for  each  individual.  I  see  many  human  beings  "n'ho  are,  ap- 
parently, vohmtarily  ascending  these  crosses,  and  crucifying 
themselves.  Each  one  is  assisted  by  bright,  attending  angels,  who, 
though  invisible  to  the  sufferers,  have  walked  with  them  through 
the  rugged  pathway  of  their  lives,  and  who  appear  to  hold  one 
hand  as  each  ascends  the  cross.  Nails  appear  to  be  driven  through 
from  the  back  side  of  the  wood,  so  that  on  their  sharp,  protrud- 
ing points,  each  one  can  suspend  himself.  Now  I  see  that  when 
the  agony  of  crucifixion  is  over,  and  death  has  apparently  ensued, 
the  kind  angels  take  them  down,  and  gently  lay  them  in  the 
sepulchre.  Soon  I  beheld  them  risen,  looking  more  spiritual 
than  before.  They  pass  out  of  the  sepulchre  by  another  door. 
As  they  come  forth  they  are  clad  in  beautiful  and  shining  garments; 
and  0,  they  look  so  happy  and  so  angel-like !  But  I  am  told 
that  even  these  are  not  the  most  beautiful  robes  they  will  wear. 
Still  brighter  garments  will  be  given  them  as  they  advance.  Paths 
open  before  them,  leading  yet  onward  and  upward  towards  bright 
summits  in  the  far  distance.  Some,  I  see,  have  toiled  onward  till 
they  have  reached  the  top  of  a  distant  mountain ;  and  there  they 
receive  other  and  more  shining  garments  as  a  reward  for  their 
toils.  But  they  rest  not  here ;  they  travel  still  onward  and  up- 
ward; they  reach  still  loftier  summits,  and  are  clad  in  still  bright- 
er robes,  till  at  length  they  disappear  amid  the  splendors  of  the 
celestial  mountains.  And  I  sec  that  all  along  their  ascendinof 
way,  as  a  beacon-light,  and  as  a  guide  to  their  footsteps,  have 
been  borne  those  same  crosses  on  which  they  crucified  themselves 
on  earth,  chanrjcd  into  hrilliant  crosses  of  lighf. 

"The  angel  now  gives  me  the  explanation.  It  is  this:  The 
great  mistake  in  the  church,  in  whose  teachings  you  have  been 
instructed,  has  been  that  of  looking  for  a  future  salvation  as  the 
purchase  for  you  of  the  sufferings  of  another,  and  expecting  to 
receive  it  by  passively  trusting  to  what  another  has  done  in  your 
behalf.  Instead  of  this,  all  who  would  be  followers  of  the  Christ, 
and  attain  the  benefits  of  his  salvation,  must  thcmsdves  be  cruci- 
fied; must,  voluntarily  and  for  themselves,  ascend  the  cross,  pass 
through  the  sepulchre,  and  be  raised  to  a  new  life,  as  was  Jesus 
the  Nazarene.  In  other  words,  in  proportion  as  the  lower  or  grosser 
nature  —  selfishness,  lust,  pride,  love  of  ease,  of  wealth,  of  worldly 
distinction,  everything  which  would  degrade  and  hold  in  check 
the  spiritual  nature,  in  proportion  as  these  are  curbed,  denied, 


350  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

or  crucified,  to  that  extent  does  each  one  rise  to  a  higlier  life,  and 
enjoy  a  constant  salvation.  This  is  the  true  salvation  — a  deliv- 
erance from,  sin,  from  grossness,  from  all  lower  forms  of  enjoy- 
ment, and  an  elevation  to  that  which  is  higher  and  purer;  and  it 
is  to  be  reahzed  in  the  present,  and  not  put  off  to  a  distant  future. 
These  crucifixions  and  resurrections  may  take  place  daily,  hourly ; 
and  the  more  thoroughly  their  purifying  work  is  done,  the  more 
completely  will  you  live  in  heaven,  even  while  you  stay  on  earth. 

"  This  is  the  salvation  which  Jesus  taught,  both  by  precept  and 
example.  He  said,  'He  that  believeth  on  me  liath  everlasting 
life.'  During  all  his  earthly  career  he  crucified  his  lower  nature; 
that  is,  he  denied  all  gross  and  sensual  enjoyments,  and  lived  the 
inner  and  higher  life.  And  his  death  at  last,  on  a  cross  of  wood, 
was  but  the  shadow,  the  external  symbol  of  what  his  whole  life 
had  been.  Neither  his  death  nor  his  life  can  save  others,  except 
so  far  as  they  follow  his  example,  ivalh  in  his  footsteps,  become 
'  crucified  unto  the  tvorld,'  make  his  life  and  sufferings  their  own, 
and  thus  partake  luith  him  of  the  joys  and  rewards  which  croiun 
with  glory  all  such  loorthy  lives.  Thus  is  Jesus  truly  the  Saviour 
of  man,  and  only  thus  are  they  saved  by  him.  Thus  is  he  truly 
the  bread  of  life  to  the  soul ;  and  not  merely  in  the  external  symbols 
of  eating  bread  and  drinking  wine,  in  what  is  termed  the  com- 
munion-service, but  in  every  sacrifice  that  is  made,  daily  and 
hourly,  for  the  good  of  others,  or  in  obedience  to  the  Father's 
will,  does  the  true  soul  have  communion  with  Jesus,  and  partake 
of  his  divine  life. 

"  Those  who  thus  become  partakers  of  his  life,  his  sufferings, 
his  death,  also  rise  with  him,  or,  as  he  did,  to  newness  of  life; 
and  this  is  the  resurrection,  the  only  resurrection  in  which  these 
mortal  bodies  can  ever  partake.  And  as  mortals  thus  crucify  them- 
selves by  renouncing  all  that  is  earthly  and  base,  and  by  aspiring 
to  the  lofty  and  the  spiritual,  the  good  angels  whom  the  Father 
sends  to  have  charge  over  them  in  all  their  Avays,  are  ever  nigh  to 
lend  their  aid.  Gently  they  lay  the  pierced  and  bleeding  ones 
in  the  sepulchre  of  external  joys,  and  then  assist  them  to  rise  to 
higher  and  nobler  lives ;  they  bring  them  garments  of  purity  and 
light,  and  point  to  the  pathway  of  endless  attainment  which 
reaches  on  and  up  amid  the  Celestial  Hills,  ever  bearing  before 
them,  as  a  beacon  of  encouragement  and  of  light,  the  resplendent 
eymbol  of  the  cross." 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  351 

Such  was  the  lesson  of  this  bright  "  messenger  from  the  abode 
of  harmony  and  peace."  The  reader  will  form  his  own  estimate 
of  its  truthfulness  and  value;  but  to  the  writer  it  presented  that 
ancient  symbol  of  Christianity  in  a  new  radiance.  The  cross,  as 
thus  interpreted,  was  seen  to  be  the  fitting  emblem  of  all  spiritual 
progress — the  grand  central  idea,  not  merely  of  Cbristianity 
in  its  restricted  sense,  but  of  all  redeeming  truth. 

With  a  view  of  showing  the  similarity  of  sentiment  between 
advanced  minds  of  the  present  age  and  some  which  thrived  nearly 
a  century  of  years  ago,  we  insert  a  poem  from  the  writings  of  one 
who  was  the  author  of  more  than  fifty  volumes,  prose  and  verse, 
many  of  which  were  published  anonymously,  and  perhaps  have 
never  been  acknowledged.  They  exhibit  not  only  great  industry, 
but  also  great  tact  and  versatility  in  the  writer. 

"  With  Horace  Smith,  literature  and  his  city  business  Went  hand 
in  hand.  Before  he  relinquished  his  counting-room  a  friend  met 
him  posting  westward,  one  day,  about  three  o'clock.  'Where 
are  you  going  so  fast.  Smith?'  'Who  would  not  go  fast  to 
Paradise  (Paradise  Row,  Fulham)  ?  I  am  going  to  sin,  like  our 
first  parents.'  '  How  ?  There  are  no  apples  to  pluck  at  Fulham 
yet.'  '  No ;  but  there  is  ink  to  spill,  though,  a  worse  sin,  per- 
haps.    I  have  promised  L something,  I  cannot  tell  what. 

Who  the  deuce  can  hit  upon  anything  new,  when  half  of  the 
world  is  racking  its  brains  to  do  tbe  same  thing? ' " 

"This,"  adds  the  reminiscent,  who  wrote  a  few  months  after 
the  death  of  Horace,  "  this  is  thirty  years  ago,  and  now  the  utterer 
of  tbat  remark  is  in  the  precincts  of  the  tomb,  while  the  inter- 
vening time  saw  no  diminution  of  his  regard  for  intellectual  pleas- 
ures, nor,  with  much  to  flatter  his  talents  in  the  way  of  his  literary 
labors,  any  decrease  of  that  modest  feeling  in  regard  to  his  own 
writings,  which  is  one  of  the  strongest  attestations  of  merit. 

"Leigh  Hunt,  in  his  expressive  use  of  odd  epithets,  says  that 
Horace  Smith  was  '  delicious.'  He  never  met  with  a  finer 
nature  in  man,  except  in  the  single  instance  of  Shelley,  who  him- 
self entertained  the  highest  regard  fur  Horace  Smith,  as  may  be 
seen  by  the  following  verses,  the  initials  in  which  the  reader  may 
fill  up  with  his  name : 

'  Wit  and  sense, 
Virtue  and  human  knowledge,  all  that  might 


352  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

Make  this  dull  world  a  business  of  delight, 
Are  all  combined  in  H.  S.' 

Shelley  once  said  to  Leigh  Hunt,  '  I  know  not  what  Horace 
Smith  must  take  me  for  sometimes.  I  am  afraid  he  must  think 
me  a  strange  fellow ;  but  is  it  not  odd  that  the  only  truly  gener- 
ous person  I  ever  knew,  who  had  money  to  be  generous  with, 
should  be  a  stock-broker  ?  And  he  writes  poetry,  too,'  contin- 
ued Shelley,  his  voice  rising  in  a  fervor  of  astonishment;  'he 
writes  poetry  and  pastoral  dramas,  and  yet  knows  how  to  make 
money,  and  does  make  it,  and  is  still  generous.'  'I  believe,' 
said  Shelley,  on  another  occasion,  'that  I  have  only  to  say  to  Hor- 
ace Smith  that  I  want  a  hundred  pounds  or  two,  and  he  would 
send  it  to  me  without  any  eye  to  its  being  returned  ;  such  faith 
has  he  that  I  have  something  within  me  beyond  what  the  world 
supposes,  and  that  I  could  only  ask  his  money  for  a  good  purpose.' 
What  Shelley  says  that  Smith  would  have  done  for  him,  he  was 
known  more  than  once  to  have  done  for  others,  Avith  a  delicacy 
that  enhanced  the  generosity  of  the  act. 

His  character  is  succinctly  and  beautifully  described  in  the 
paragraph  in  which  the  London  Examiner  anounced  his  decease 
and  paid  a  tribute  to  his  memory.  '  He  was  a  man  of  corrdct 
taste,  and  the  most  generous  sympathies  ;  a  delightful  writer,  both 
in  prose  and  verse;  a  cheerful  and  wise  companion,  and  a  fast 
friend.  No  man  had  a  wider  range  of  admirable  and  genial  qual- 
ities ;  and  far  beyond  that  private  circle  of  which  he  was  the 
great  charm  and  ornament,  his  loss  will  be  deeply  felt.'  If  it 
would  be  difficult  to  find  words  to  convey  more  graceful  and  em- 
phatic praise,  it  would  be  equally  so  to  find  a  man  who,  from  all 
report,  more  fully  deserves  it  than  Horace  Smith,"  from  whose 
intellect  is  the  following  :  — 

THE    SANCTUARY. 

"In  Israel  was  many  a  refuge  city, 

Whereto  the  blameless  homicide  might  flee, 
And  claim  protection,  sustenance,  and  pity, 

Safe  from  the  blood-avenger's  enmity. 

Until  the  law's  acquittal  sent  him  thence. 

Free  from  offence. 

Round  old  cathedral,  abbey-church,  and  palace, 
Did  we  ourselves  a  sanctuary  draw, 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  353 

Where  no  stern  creditor  could  glut  his  malice, 

And  even  criminals  might  brave  the  law  ; 
Nor  judge  nor  justice  in  that  chartered  verge 
Their  rights  could  urge. 

These  times  are  gone  ;  felons  and  knavish  debtors 
May  mourn  the  change,  but  who  bewails  their  case  ? 

For  why  should  God  and  king  be  made  abettors 
Of  guilt  and  fraud,  the  champions  of  the  base  ? 

Never  may  such  a  desecration  stain 
Our  land,  again  1 

But  all  are  not  divested  of  their  charter  ; 

One  refuge  still  is  left  for  human  woes. 
Victim  of  care  I  or  persecution's  martyr  I 

Who  seek'st  a  sure  asylum  from  thy  foes, 
Learn  that  the  holiest,  safest,  purest,  best. 
Is  mail's  own  breast  I 

There  is  a  solemn  sanctuary  founded 
By  God  himself  ;  not  for  transgressors  meant ; 

But  that  the  man  oppressed,  the  spirit-wounded, 
And  all  beneath  the  world's  injustice  bent. 

Might  turn  from  outward  wrong,  turmoil,  and  din, 
To  peace  within. 

Each  bosom  is  a  temple  ;  when  its  altar. 

The  living  heart,  is  unprofaned  and  pure, 
Its  verge  is  hallowed  ;  none  need  fear  or  falter 

Who  thither  fly ;  it  is  an  ark  secure. 
Winning,  above  a  world  o'erwhelmed  with  wrath, 
Its  peaceful  path. 

O  bower  of  bliss  I  O  sanctuary  holy  1 

Terrestrial  antepast  of  heavenly  joy  I 
Never  1  oh,  never  may  misdeed  or  folly 

My  claim  to  thy  beatitudes  destroy  ! 
Still  may  I  keep  this  paradise  unlost. 
Where'er  I  'm  tost. 

Even  in  the  flesh  the  spirit  disembodied, 
Unchecked  by  time  and  space,  may  soar  elate. 

In  silent  awe  to  commune  with  the  Godhead, 
Or  the  millenium  reign  anticipate, 

When  carUi  shall  be  all  sanctity  and  love. 
Like  Heaven  above. 

How  sweet  to  turn  from  anguish,  guilt,  and  madness, 
Prom  scenes  where  strife  and  tumult  never  cease 


354  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

To  that  elysian  world  of  bosom'd  gladness, 
"Where  all  is  silence,  charity,  and  peace  ; 
And,  sheltered  from  the  storm,  the  soul  may  rest 
On  its  own  nest. 

"When,  sensitive  as  the  spleenful  Mimosa, 
"We  shrink  from  Winter's  touch  and  Nature's  gloom  ; 

There  may  we  conjure  up  a  Vellombrosa, 
."Where  groves  and  bowers  in  summer  beauty  bloom, 

And  the  heart  dances  in  the  sunny  glade 
Fancy  has  made. 

But  would  we  dedicate  to  nobler  uses, 

This  bosom-sanctuary,  let  us  there 
Hallow  our  hearts  from  all  the  world's  abuses  ; 

"While  high  and  charitable  thought  and  prayers 
May  teach  us  gratitude  to  God,  combined 
"With  love  of  kind. 

Header,  this  is  no  lay  unfelt  and  hollow, 
But  prompted  by  the  happy,  grateful  heart 

Of  one  who,  having  humbly  tried  to  follow 
The  path  he  counsels,  would  to  thee  impart 

The  love  and  holy  quiet  which  have  blest 
His  own  calm  breast." 

The  same  "delicious  "  mind  produces  the  following: 

"  Earth,  on  whose  stage,  in  pomp  arrayed, 
Life's  joyous  interlude  is  played, 

Earth  !  with  thy  pageants  ever  new  and  bright. 
Thy  woods  and  waters,  hills  and  dales, 
How  dead  must  be  the  soul  that  fails 

To  see  and  bless  thy  beauties  infinite  I 

Man,  whose  high  intellect  supplies 

A  never-failing  Paradise 
Of  holy  and  enrapturing  pursuits, 

"Whose  heart 's  a  fount  of  fresh  delight, 

Pity  the  cynics  who  would  blight 
Thy  godlike  gifts,  and  rank  thee  with  the  brutes. 

Oh  woman  !  who,  from  realms  above. 

Hast  brought  to  earth  the  heaven  of  love, 
Terrestrial  angel,  beautiful  as  pure  ! 

No  pains,  no  penalties  dispense 

On  thy  traducers :  their  offence 
Is  its  own  punishment,  most  sharp  and  sure. 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  355 

Father  and  God  I  whose  love  and  might 

To  every  sense  are  blazoned  briijht 
On  the  vast  three-leaved  Bible,—  earth,  sea,  sky, — 

Pardon  the  impugners  of  thy  laws, 

Expand  their  hearts,  and  give  them  cause 
To  bless  the  exhaustless  grace  they  now  deny. 

Hear  me,  O  hear,  while  I  impart 

The  deep  conviction  of  my  heart. 
That  such  a  theatre,  august  and  grand, 

Whose  author,  actors,  awful  play. 

Are  God,  mankind,  a  judgment  day. 
Was  for  some  higher  aim,  some  holier  purpose  plann'd. 

I  will  not,  nay,  I  cannot,  deem 

This  fair  creation's  moral  scheme. 
That  seems  so  crude,  mysterious,  misapplied, 

Meant  to  conclude  as  it  began. 

Unworthy  the  material  plan 
With  whose  perfections  rare,  its  failures  are  allied. 

As  in  our  individual  fate. 

Our  manhood  and  maturer  date 
Correct  the  faults  and  follies  of  our  youth, 

So  will  the  world,  I  fondly  hope, 

With  added  years,  give  fuller  scope 
To  the  display  and  love  of  wisdom,  justice,  truth. 

'T  is  this  that  makes  my  feelings  glow, 

My  bosom  thrill,  my  tears  o'erflow 
At  any  deed  magnanimous,  sublime  ; 

'T  is  this  that  reassures  my  soul. 

When  nations  shun  the  forward  goal. 
And  retrograde  awhile,  in  ignorance  and  crime. 

Mine  is  no  hopeless  dream  of  some 

Impassable  Millenium, 
When  saints  and  angels  shall  inhabit  earth  ; 

But  a  conviction  deep,  intense. 

That  man  was  meant  by  Providence, 
Progressively  to  reach  a  hiyher  moral  worth. 

On  this  dear  faith's  sustaining  truth. 

Hath  my  soul  brooded  from  its  youth. 
As  heaven's  best  gift  and  earth's  most  cheering  dower. 

O  I  may  I  still  in  life's  decline, 

Hold  unimpaired  this  creed  benign. 
And  mine  old  age  attest  its  meUorating  power  I " 


356  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

Our  present  work  already  exceeds  in  quantity  its  prescribed 
limits,  yet  we  feel  an  irresistible  influence  soliciting  the  insertion 
of  certain  communications  from  the  spirit-world.  These  are  not 
of  late  origin,  having  been  given  through  the  mediumship  of  Mrs. 
Sweet,  from  the  years  1852-6,  although  not  published  until  the 
year  1869,  nearly  ten  years  subsequent  to  her  birth  to  spirit-life. 
Judge  Edmonds  said  of  her :  —  "  She  always  seemed  to  me  to  be 

Pure  as  the  snow-flake  ere  it  falls 

And  takes  the  stain  of  earth, 
"Without  a  taint  of  mortal  life. 

Except  its  mortal  birth." 

Some  of  the  communications  we  shall  give  in  full,  as  taken 
from  the  work  entitled,  "  The  Future  Life :  as  Described  and 
Portrayed  by  Spirits,  through  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Sweet."  From 
others  we  shall  only  select  such  extracts  as  we  may  deem  advisa- 
ble.    Our  first  purports  to  be  from  Swedenborg : 

"  The  human  soul,  when  first  awakened  from  the  slumber  of 
its  material  nature  to  a  consciousness  of  its  spiritual  being,  pre- 
sents a  strange  medley  of  conflicts  and  changes,  in  its  transition 
state.  Where  the  material  consciousness  of  the  individual  has  so 
long  retained  the  ascendency,  it  has  become  vested  with  a  strong 
authority,  as  it  were,  and  a  mighty  straggle  oftentimes  ensues 
between  the  two  opposites ;  and  when  the  spiritual  germ  of  our 
nature  first  begins  to  develop  itself,  it  is  so  mingled  and  inter- 
woven with  our  material  being,  that  we  are  at  a  loss  to  distinguish 
the  difference  between  the  principles  which  sway  ns,  and  often 
stand  trembling  almost,  (feeling  so  uncertain,  as  though  we  stood 
upon  the  edge  of  a  precipice,)  not  knowing  into  what  depths  of 
insecurity  our  plunge  may  lead.  But  gradually  in  some,  and 
more  rapid  in  others,  the  spiritual  nature  assumes  its  empire,  and 
we  then  see  things  as  we  never  saw  them  before. 

There  is  a  new  and  strong  principle  that  takes  root  and  grows 
up  within  the  soul,  constantly  strengthening  and  sustaining  the 
feeble  and  fluttering  efforts  which  the  spirit  is  making  to  burst 
from  out  the  bondage  in  which  it  has  been  held  for  so  great  a 
length  of  time.  And  when  the  soul  becomes  able  to  rise  so  far 
beyond  its  accustomed  position  as  to  look  abroad  upon  the  won- 
ders everyA^'here  held  out  to  its  view,  it  becomes  filled  with  strong 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  357 

and  beautiful  emotions;  and  the  -vastness  and  wisdom  of  the  Cre- 
ator's works  are  so  impressed  upon  that  soul,  at  times,  in  all  their 
magnificence  and  glory,  that  it  fain  would  shrink  within  its  own 
insignificance,  that  it  would  shrink  back  again  to  its  former  posi- 
tion. For,  to  the  freed  soul,  its  upward  flights  are  grand  and 
glorious,  in  comparison  with  the  narrow  and  time-trodden  road 
in  which  it  before  had  wandered.  No  wonder  if  a  fluttering  and 
trembling  should  seize  ujwn  it  while  learning  its  first  lessons  of 
joyous  freedom. 

The  soul  that  has  entered  upon  this  path,  has  indeed  under- 
gone a  mighty  change,  a  change  for  the  future  Avhich  has  not  to  be 
repeated  in  the  future ;  for  this  change  is  a  passing  from  death 
unto  life  ;  it  is  the  birth  of  the  spirit  while  yet  in  its  earthly  tem- 
ple; and  as  it  expands  in  strength  and  wisdom,  it  has  indeed 
passed  through  the  bitterness  of  death,  which  is  not  to  be  expe- 
rienced over  again  in  the  form. 

0,  the  spirit,  after  undergoing  this  first  change  from  dark  to 
light,  is  enabled  to  look  beyond  with  a  bright  and  peaceful  hope 
in  the  blest  exchange  which  awaits  him.  He  but  looks  forward 
to  the  slumber  in  Avhich  ho  will  experience  a  forgetfulness  of  the 
ills  attendant  on  the  body,  and  will  awaken  to  behold  the  glori- 
ous reality  of  all  his  former  dreamings  aud  imaginings. 

Man's  soul,  after  having  become  thus  quickened,  feels  a  con- 
sciousness within  itself  of  his  hold  upon  eternal  life.  He  feels 
his  spirit  going  out  into  the  vast  regions  of  infinite  space,  and 
endeavors  to  grasp  an  atom  of  knowledge  wherever  he  may  find 
it.  lie  is  no  longer  willing  to  grovel  on  earth,  and  taste  of 
earthly  pleasures  aud  earthly  hopes,  and  to  be  led  by  the 
teachings  of  those  whose  inspirations  have  become  dim  in  the 
awakening  glory  of  this  ncAV  era.  But  his  soul  pants  for  some- 
thing more,  something  higher,  something  better,  more  heartfelt, 
more  tangible  than  he  has  yet  become  acquainted  with ;  and  he 
is  now  ever  yearning,  ever  soaring  upward,  for  there  has  been  es- 
tablished an  affinity  between  the  soul  of  that  individual  and  the 
principle  from  which  he  emanated.  The  connection  between  the 
life-giving  principle  and  the  germ  has  become  more  apparent ; 
and  now  he  is  ever  drawn  upward  in  his  aspirations  after  truth 
and  purity;  and  as  that  soul  becomes  identified  with  its  spirit- 
affinities,  the  material  loses  much  of  its  authority  to  act  upon  its 
spirit-being.    lie  now  regards  it  as  a  covering  for  material  use, 


358  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

to  be  thrown  aside  when  no  longer  needed  to  contain  his  spirit 
when  on  its  earthly  mission;  and  trutli,  virtue,  and  love  become  a 
daily  inspiration  of  his  soul.  This  spirit  becomes  so  saturated 
and  bathed  in  the  light  of  wisdom,  that  he  indeed  feels  the  im- 
mortal part  of  his  nature  has  become  so  quickened  and  vitalized, 
that  he  needs  but  to  look  within  to  find  an  answer  to  his  inner- 
most cravings  after  the  knowledge  which  places  him  upon  a  firm 
and  imperishable  basis,  as  regards  his  eternal  and  ultimate  des- 
tiny. The  external  elements  may  be  in  confusion  and  dissension, 
and  the  surface  of  all  other  circumstances  may  become  ruffled 
and  chaotic  in  their  dark  dismay;  but  the  soul  that  has  thus 
been  able  to  take  hold  upon  his  high  prerogatives  and  claim  his 
inheritance,  by  building  it  up  and  beautifying  it  while  here  for 
his  future  residence,  may  indeed  look  away  and  beyond  the  scenes 
of  earth,  and  feel  that  while  he  has  lived  upon  its  surface  as  an 
obedient  servant  to  his  better  intuitions,  inasmuch  as  he  could 
plainly  perceive  them,  is  like  the  bird  on  the  wing,  who,  when 
the  first  note  of  welcome  from  his  mate  salutes  his  ear,  is  ever 
ready  to  soar  away  and  meet  with  joy  his  waiting  companion ;  for 
there  is  a  beautiful  reunion  takes  place  between  the  freed  spirit 
of  man  and  his  affinities,  who  have  long  guided  his  footsteps  on 
earth,  and  whom  he  now  may  behold  face  to  face,  and  with  them 
travel  onward  to  behold  the  eternal  mysteries  of  the  glorious  un- 
folding of  the  wisdom  of  God." 

Communication  purporting  to  emanate  from  the  spirit  of  Henry 
Clay,  July,  1852. 

"  Is  it  indeed  possible  that  the  Lord,  in  his  mercy,  has  permitted 
me,  worm  as  I  am,  to  enjoy  this  great  privilege  of  standing  in 
spirit  and  addressing  mortals  below  ? 

My  sojourn  in  the  land  of  spirits  has  been  very  short,  and  my 
experience  necessarily  limited.  My  actual  knowledge  of  a  true 
and  well-conducted  life  has  but  just  begun:  true  life,  not  a  life 
which  is  antagonistical  to  spiritual  trutlis,  whose  soft  whisperings 
at  times  penetrate  the  heart  of  every  man,  even  amid  the  tur- 
moil and  excitement  of  a  worldly  career,  carried  on  in  an  increas- 
ing round  of  conflicting  passions,  hopes,  and  fears,  and  longings 
for  that  which  may  not  always  be  grasped,  but  a  life  of  an  en- 
tirely different  nature.  Ambition  no  longer  absorbs  my  soul  with 
hei  dark-hued  wings.    Party  spirit  no  more  dispels  the  bright 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  359 

visions  of  happiness  from  my  view.  But  here,  love  and  unity 
bring  light  and  joy  imperishable.  Now  I  discover  that  even  the 
desire  for  a  nation's  welfare  was  too  much  interwoven  with  the 
love  of  self-aggrandizement.  I  see  also  that  men  of  high  intellect, 
whose  vigorous  thought  swayed  the  mass  of  mind,  and  whose 
splendor  of  eloquence  misled  the  senses,  now  but  faintly  shine  in 
the  dim  distance.  The  eloquence  of  earth  is  not  at  all  times  bor- 
rowed from  heaven,  and  the  fiery  intellect  is  not  always  kindled 
by  the  light  of  purity  or  the  intensity  of  love. 

The  vast  voice  of  a  nation,  as  the  voice  of  one  man,  will  yet 
ascend  on  high  to  the  power  which  shall  enlighten  the  people 
and  unchain  them  from  their  moral  and  social  slavery,  the  slavery 
of  human  custom,  and  conventionalities,  and  approbation  which 
often  leads  men  to  forget  their  duty  to  themselves,  their  nation, 
and  their  God. 

And  now  I  am  rejoiced  that  the  light  from  heaven,  which  is  to 
baptize  the  nations,  has  broken  in  upon  my  soul,  and  I  could  bow 
my  head  to  the  dust  in  shame  and  grief,  that  the  still  small  voice 
of  conscience  was  so  long  unheeded  by  me,  and  which  would  have 
led  me  to  behold  this  pure  and  beautiful  light.  I  was  a  states- 
man on  earth,  but  am  a  child  in  heaven.  There  I  was  thought 
a  sage ;  here  I  am  a  novice ;  but  even  this  novitiate  is  to  me  more 
deep  in  knowledge,  and  yet  more  fraught  with  mystery,  than  ever 
my  mortal  mind  conceived.  My  highest  earth-born  thought  was 
far  too  low  to  reach  to  heaven.  My  worldly  wisdom  availed  me 
not,  when  my  new  life  commenced. 

It  is  very  beautiful  to  become  a  little  child  again ;  and  now  I 
understand  the  meaning  of  the  words,  '  Ye  must  be  boru  again ;' 
and  in  true  sincerity  and  gratefulness  I  feel  that  I  am  born 
again,  in  a  life  where  the  vanities  of  earth  have  faded  from  my 
view,  and  the  bright  glories  of  heaven  are  opening  upon  my 
soul. 

0  soul  made  pure,  be  thankful  for  thy  high  estate,  and  adore 
thy  God,  who  hath  endowed  thine  eyes  with  light,  and  thy  soul 
with  the  ability  to  enjoy  the  pure  beauties  which  crowd  upon  thy 
new  existence !  And  yet  how  I  am  overwhelmed  with  the  fore- 
shadowing of  the  glory  which  is  yet  in  wait  for  mo.  But  now  a 
form  of  brightness  appears,  and  saith  unto  me,  'As  thy  day  is, 
80  shall  thy  str'^ngth  increase ;  and  thou  shalt  grow,  and  wax 
stronger  in  the  stature  of  wisdom,  and  the  might  of  love.' 


360  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

I  am  surrounded  by  those  who  have  passed  from  earth,  and 
who  are,  like  myself,  exploring  the  wonders  of  this  heavenly  land. 
The  realities  become  more  and  more  transcendently  sublime  as 
we  proceed ;  and  the  beauties  of  knowledge  are  increasingly  un- 
folded. More  vast  and  commanding  becomes  the  wide-spread 
plain  of  glory,  as  we  travel  on  in  our  heavenly  path,  guided  by 
wisdom  supreme  and  love  unbounded. 

Follow  up  this  good  path,  friends.  I  regret  that  I  did  not 
commence  sooner." 

Questio7i,  by  a  member  of  the  circle.  "  Did  you  begin  at  all, 
while  on  earth  ?  " 

Answer.  "Faintly  and  feebly,  as  a  child  begins  to  walk. 
I  possessed  not  the  strength  which  comes  from  above." 

Question.     "  Did  you  believe  in  these  manifestations  ?  " 

Ansiver.  "  I  believed  in  a  great  deal  more  than  1  admitted,  even 
to  myself." 

We  are  not  informed  through  whom  the  foregoing  communica- 
tion came ;  bat  the  following,  from  the  same  spirit,  was  re- 
ceived through  Mrs.  S.  a  short  time  afterward. 

"  It  is  with  feelings  of  thankfulness,  that  I  have  again  found 
an  opportunity  of  speaking  through  a  medium.  It  seems  to  be 
the  wish  which  is  ever  uppermost  in  my  mind,  to  come  back  to 
earth,  and  mingle  again  in  the  scenes  in  Avhich  I  took  so  active  a 
part,  but  not  with  the  same  desire  that  I  then  had,  to  participate 
in  the  hopes  and  fears  which  sway  the  minds  of  those  who  cannot 
see  beyond  the  present  sphere  of  existence. 

But  it  is  my  desire  to  make  myself  known,  if  possible,  to  those 
with  whom  I  have  walked  the  down -hill  path  of  life.  And  it  is 
my  aim,  when  I  shall  succeed  in  so  doing,  to  open  their  minds  to 
the  truth  of  this  incalculable  and  momentous  manifestation,  to 
them  unknown. 

I  foresee,  in  so  doing,  the  light  of  wisdom  to  rule  and  govern  a 
nation,  that  is  striving  to  rise  into  liberty,  as  on  the  wings  of  an 
eagle;  and  how  absolutely  necessary  and  all- important  is  it,  that 
the  minds  of  the  rulers  of  the  land  should  be  filled  with  the  wis- 
dom which  shall  enable  them  to  rule  with  a  justice  which  shall 
diffuse  its  influence  with  the  knowledge  of  truth ;  and  the  truth, 
when  it  shall  reach  the  minds  of  the  people,  with  the  power  which 
only  the  truth  can  approach,  will  open  their  minds  to  the  enjoy- 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  361 

ment  of  this  glorious  knowledge,  which  will  lead  to  the  happiness 
of  the  people,  to  the  nation's  lasting  good. 

When  this  young  eaglet,  whose  aspiring  wings  are  spread  to  all 
nations  and  climes,  shall  become  stronger  in  her  strength,  and 
more  powerful  in  her  power ;  and,  thank  God !  this  power  shall 
yet  be  felt  in  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth ;  the  cry  shall  be 
to  the  people,  Strengthen  ye  my  loved  ones,  with  the  strength  of 
the  truth  which  is  strengthening  ye. 

0,  how  lovely  the  light!  how  palely  beautiful  the  beams  which 
are  darting  hither  and  thither  around  ;  and  it  falls  there,  and  it 
falls  here,  and  it  takes  root,  and  the  root  takes  strength  and  is  be- 
ginning to  flourish.  But  ah!  the  young  saplings  are  yet  tender  ; 
the  winds  of  ridicule  and  calumny  blow  roughly  over  their  heads- 
It  may  break ;  it  may  rudely  handle  them  in  their  tender  youth. 
But  oh!  it  will  not  blast  them  ;  the  young  trees  shall  lift  their 
heads,  and  become  as  oaks,  which,  amid  the  tempests,  stand  un- 
moved. 

And  I  would  say  to  the  weak  ones,  0  !  be  strong  in  your  faith 
and  trust  in  God  ;  for  this  glorious  work  is  advancing  slowly,  but 
surely,  and  steadily.  And  as  an  army  whose  ranks  are  feeble  at 
first,  it  shall  increase  in  strength,  and  beauty,  and  might,  and 
majesty,  until  it  shall  overpower  the  hearts  of  the  people,  not 
with  the  force  of  power,  but  with  the  power  of  love. 

Already  in  my  short  journey  I  can  perceive  how  great  the  hap- 
piness and  welfare  of  the  nation  is  to  be  promoted  by  a  knowledge 
of  the  truth,  when  they  shall  reap  the  benefit  of  the  communion 
of  spirits  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest  in  the  land. 

0,  how  great,  how  earnest  is  the  desire  of  the  spirits  to  make 
their  presence  known !  And  through  that  influence  the  hearts 
of  men  sliall  grow  weak  in  their  desire  to  commit  crime,  and  to 
wrong  their  fellow-men.  Through  that  influence  the  Aveak  and 
oppressed  shall  be  raised  from  the  dust,  and  placed  on  the  level 
plain  of  Humanity,  which  the  power  of  God  willed  all  human 
beings  to  enjoy,  but  which  the  perverted  will  of  man,  whose  con- 
science has  become  deaf  to  the  voice  of  nature's  God,  has  down- 
trodden and  oppressed  when  circumstances  have  given  him  au- 
thority over  them. 

But  the  voice  of  freedom  from  the  thraldom  of  mind  and  body 
shall  ere  long  be  heard  over  the  land,  and  minds  shall  rise  strong 
in  the  knowledge  which  God  has  given  them,  and  teach  to  other 


362  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

minds  how  dark  the  gloom  which  sectarianism,  and  superstition, 
and  unbelief,  and  skepticism,  have  cast  around  them.  And  I  say 
their  fetters  shall  be  broken  as  the  light  shall  speed  onward. 

As  I  contemplate  this  work,  which  is  gradually  becoming  un- 
folded, I  thank  God  in  my  inmost  heart  that  I  have  been  per- 
mitted to  soar  above  this  land  of  shadows  and  darkness  and 
dimness,  and  whose  honors  and  glories  flee  away  as  shadows  from 
our  grasp,  and  leave  us  toiling  for  we  know  not  what. 

I  now  stand  on  the  mount  of  Hope,  whose  strength  upholdeth 
me,  and  whose  light  becomes  stronger  and  brighter,  nor  vanisheth 
as  the  objects  are  nearer.  But  more  lovely  becomes  this  lovely 
light  the  nearer  I  approach  it,  through  the  goodness  of  God  and 
the  aid  of  spirits  made  perfect,  who  dwell  in  the  presence  of  his 
smile,  and  who  do  their  Father's  will  when  life  is  unceasing,  joy 
is  never-ending,  and  eternity  is  eternal." 

THE  PEEACHER. 

*' '  For  the  wicked  shall  be  cast  into  hell,  and  all  the  nations  that 
forget  God.  This  is  a  solemn  thought,  my  hearers,  and  one  on 
which  we  should  prayerfully  and  candidly  exercise  our  minds. 
Yea,  verily.  It  is  a  solemn  thought.  The  wicked  shall  be  cast 
into  hell,  where  the  worm  never  dies,  and  the  fire  is  never  quenched. 
0,  my  friends,  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come.  Put  away  your 
sins,  lest  the  Son  of  Man  come  in  the  night  time ;  and  0,  ye 
sinners !  beware  how  ye  tempt  an  angry  God  ! ' 

This  was  the  doctrine  I  preaclied  on  earth,  this  the  way  in 
which  I  filled  the  poor  human  heart  with  fear  and  trembling, 
with  shrinking  from  a  kind  and  beneficent  God,  whose  only  man- 
ifestation is  smiling  on  his  creatures,  by  calling  him  angry !  by 
crying  up  hell-fire,  the  horrors  of  those  who  disobey,  and  distort- 
ing everything  to  suit  my  own  peculiar  views.  I  thought  I  was 
doing  right  and  God  a  service  by  upholding  these  gloomy  dog- 
mas, which  I  gave  forth  with  such  a  zeal,  with  such  bitter  denun- 
ciations against  the  erring  mortals  who  should  have  been  en- 
couraged and  dealt  kindly  with,  and  not  horrified  and  frightened 
with  the  contemplation  of  death. 

I  thus  departed  from  earth,  feeling  happy  that  I  had  done  my 
duty  and  borne  my  cross,  and  might  enter  into  the  joys  of  my 
Father's  house.     I  entered  the  spirit-world,  but  was  not  met  by 


THE   UNSEALED  BOOK.  363 

the  rejoicing  and  bright  angels  I  expected;  by  some  friends,  to 
be  sure,  but  their  countenances  were  sad  and  gloomy;  there  was 
evidently  something  on  their  minds.  Instead  of  rejoicing  and 
songs  of  praise,  it  was  rather  a  gloomy  and  mournful  greeting  on 
my  first  entrance,  and  a  sadness  came  over  my  soul.  I  asked, 
'  How  is  this?  Why  should  heaven  seem  so  gloomy  a  place  ? '  I 
said,  '  Friends,  can  you  tell  me  the  reason  ?  There  is  no  rejoic- 
ing, no  gladness  in  your  looks.  You  have  some  inward  sorrow. 
Pray,  convey  me  to  Him  whose  cause  I  have  served.  Let  me  see 
the  Saviour  who  died  on  the  cross  to  redeem  sinners.  Give  me 
something  to  repay  me  for  all  my  labor.' 

One  venerable-looking  brother,  whom  I  had  known  on  earth, 
approached  me  solemnly,  and,  taking  my  hand,  said,  '  Our  life- 
teachings  have  been  wrong.  They  have  caused  more  mourning 
and  shrinking  from  the  approach  of  death  than  happiness,  driv- 
ing hundreds  away  by  their  asperity,  who  would  have  been  glad 
to  gaze  beyond  the  veil  of  eternity.'  I  asked,  '  Can  it  be  possible 
that  my  whole  life  has  been  spent  wrongly,  that  I  lived  an  in- 
harmonious life,  that  instead  of  doing  God  service,  I  have  done 
evil  toward  my  fellow-men  ? ' 

My  soul  was  so  troubled  and  cast  down,  that,  after  pausing 
awhile,  I  said  to  that  brother,  '  What  shall  I  do  to  be  saved  ? '  He 
said,  '  When  you  shall  see  your  errors,  and  be  willing  to  go  down 
and  redeem  the  wrong  you  have  done  in  the  hearts  which  are 
there ;  then,  and  not  till  then,  will  you  begin  your  path  of  ascen- 
sion, and  by  your  labor  blot  out  your  sins,  by  assisting  others  to 
blot  out  theirs.' 

And,  my  friends,  as  soon  as  I  was  made  conscious  of  my  error, 
I  began  my  work.  I  gave  up  my  narrow  conceptions  of  the  Deity. 
Grovelling  Avorm  that  I  was,  how  little  did  I  know  of  the  majesty 
of  God  !  I  began  earnestly  and  trustfully  to  cast  away  the  chains 
that  bound  my  soul.  I  began  my  labors.  And,  0,  yes ;  it  was 
a  labor,  indeed ;  sufBcicnt  to  wash  away  my  many  sins,  when  I 
shall  have  washed  away  the  errors  from  those  minds  whose  igno- 
rance was  made  darker  by  my  errors,  and  who  might  now  have 
been  further  advanced  but  for  my  teachings. 

I  am  now  ascending.  I  begin  to  see  the  beauties  of  the  spirit- 
world,  and  the  tears  fill  my  eyes  when  I  think  what  I  might  have 
been. 

Friends !  thank  your  God  that  you  are  free,  and  that  you  are 


364  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK 

on  the  road  ahead,  far  in  advance  of  many  of  the  dwellers  in  the 
spirit-land.^' 

THF    CONVICT. 

This  evening,  Mrs.  Hemans  came  and  influenced  Mrs.  Sweet, 
and  said  to  us:  — 

"  Look  with  me,  and  see  that  pale,  trembling  spirit,  who  has  but 
lately  left  his  body.  That  body  was  clothed  in  a  convict's  garb, 
and  its  last  home  on  earth  was  the  cell  of  a  prison  ;  he  committed 
crimes  against  the  laws  of  his  country,  and  was  condemned  to 
suffer  a  punishment  of  solitude  and  hard  labor,  uncheered  by  any 
kind  voice :  no  friendly  eye  to  look  upon  him  in  his  hours  of 
ionehness  and  heart-breaking  anguish. 

Poor  spirit !  bitterly  has  he  repented,  while  in  the  form,  of  all 
his  errors  and  misdeeds.  On  his  knees,  and  in  the  humility  of  hia 
soul,  has  he  sought  of  his  Maker,  to  pardon  the  faults  of  his 
youthful  days.  His  childhood  was  joyous  and  pleasant ;  his  heart 
was  light  and  glad  as  any  among  us,  but  his  trusting  spirit  was 
taken  possession  of,  and  led  by  stronger  wills  than  his  own  ;  and 
he  was  made  to  commit  those  errors,  which  hastened  his  spirit 
from  out  the  body."     The  convict  thus  speaks  for  himself: 

"  If  you  want  me  to  tell  my  sufferings,  I  am  sure  I  can  do  so, 
for  God  knows  I  remember  them  so  well,  that  they  will  never  be 
erased  from  my  memory.  They  said  I  committed  a  grave  crime, 
and  perhaps  I  did ;  I  knew  it  to  be  a  crime,  although  I  com- 
mitted it  in  a  moment  of  thoughtlessness  and  folly,  more  for 
the  love  of  mischief,  than  the  sin  of  it.  I  had  no  thought  of 
what  the  consequences  would  be.  My  older  companions  urged 
me  on,  and  called  me  cowardly,  because  I  at  first  shrunk  from 
applying  the  match,  which  destroyed  the  dwelling  of  a  worthy 
family,  and  burned  one  of  their  children.  How  I  shudder  while 
I  think  that  I  was  the  cause  of  that  awful  death  I  They  took  me 
to  prison.  They  found  me  guilty.  I  knew  I  was  guilty  :  I  did  not 
deny  it ;  and  bitter  scalding  tears  coursed  down  my  cheeks,  when 
I  thought  of  the  little  innocent  whose  death  I  had  caused.  I 
cared  not  for  myself  or  what  became  of  me.  They  told  me  I  must 
go  to  prison,  for  how  many  years  I  cannot  tell,  but  it  was  very, 
very  many,  and  my  weeping  friends  bade  me  farewell,  those  who 
were  not  ashamed  to  be  seen  speaking  to  me,  and  others  looked 
at  me  in  pity,  and  shook  their  heads.    My  brain  was  in  a  whirl ; 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  365 

I  felt  as  though  I  was  going  to  be  transported  to  some  distant 
country,  where  I  would  never  see  home  or  friends  again.  But 
that  dreadful  load  of  guilt  lay  heavily  at  my  heart.  That  Jittle 
child !  She  had  been  a  playmate  of  mine,  and  one  of  my  com- 
panions had  made  me  the  instrument  of  consummating  the  ven- 
geance which  he  was  afraid  to  take,  for  some  petty  spite  which 
he  had  against  the  father. 

When  they  shut  me  up  in  the  cold,  gloomy,  lonely  cell,  I  threw 
myself  down  and  prayed  that  I  might  never  remember  my  former 
life.  I  but  wished  that  a  sea  of  forgetfulness  would  roll  over  me 
and  the  past,  because  nothing  but  that  could  reconcile  me.  But 
this  was  not  to  be.  1  liad  to  think  ;  Oh  !  I  had  to  think.  I  had 
to  remember  everything  distinctly  that  passed  in  that  dreadful 
excitement.  And  then  I  felt  wronged.  Bitter  and  passionate 
feelings  stirred  within  me  against  those  who  had  instigated  me 
to  commit  such  an  awful  crime.  I  felt  I  was  guilty,  and  yet  only 
guilty  through  another's  guilt,  who  had  thought  and  meant  worse 
than  I.  How  useless  were  all  these  pleadings  in  my  own  behalf  . 
There  was  nothing  before  me  but  a  gloomy  prospect  for  many 
years  to  come.  Oh  !  the  horrors  of  that  hour  when  I  first  realized 
my  situation.  I,  in  a  felon's  cell,  dressed  in  a  convict's  garb,  and 
compelled  to  labor  with  a  chain  attached  to  my  person.  I  deter- 
mined to  kill  myself.  I  could  not  live,  the  thought  was  so  horrid. 
Life  was  but  just  opening  before  me  in  bright  and  gorgeous  col- 
ors, and  now  a  dark  veil  had  fallen  between  me  and  the  light  of 
the  world,  and  I  should  have  to  spend  the  best  years  of  my  man- 
hood in  solitary  confinement,  working  harder  than  a  slave. 
Worse,  ten  thousand  times  worse  than  a  slave's  life  was  my  con- 
dition. When  the  strong  agony  had  passed  over  my  soul  I  be- 
came hardened.  I  cared  not  what  passed.  I  took  no  note  of  the 
day  or  night.  I  worked  and  lived  a  nearly  mechanical  life.  I  felt 
dead  to  everything  around  me.  There  were  no  more  tears  left  to 
shed,  there  was  nothing  to  look  for,  to  hope  for ;  all  was  dreary, 
all  was  blank.  Thus  I  lived  for  a  long  time.  Nor  blows  nor 
threats  could  arouse  me.  Nothing  could  affect  me,  so  strong  and 
hard  had  my  nature  become,  for  I  had  determined  that  outward 
circumstances  should  not  bend  or  break  my  spirit.  It  was  a  stern 
and  unrelenting  desire  not  to  feel  the  chains  which  were  galling 
me. 

But  how  little  man  knows  of  his  own  spirit !    How  incapable 


366  THE    UNSEALED   BOOK. 

he  is  of  knowing  what  he  may  be  able  to  bear,  and  how  long  he 
will  prove  impregnable   to   those  feelings   which   animate  the 
breasts  of  all  the  human  family !     My  resolutions  gradually  grew 
weaker,  and  my  will  less  strong.     I  began  to  yearn  for  some  pity- 
ing heart  to  turn  to.     There  was  none  to  listen  to  my  prayer, 
none  to  wipe  away  my  tears,  and  my  heart  melted  down  until  it 
became  as  weak  as  a  little  child's.     Oh !  how  I  wished  to  see  the 
face  of  a  friend.     What  sickness  of  heart  came  over  me,  and  no 
kindly  hand  was  there  to  be  laid  on  my  head,  but  only  the  cold, 
stony  wall  to  support  it.     It  was  in  vain  for  me  to  ask   or  pray 
for  my  earthly  friends,  for  I  could  not  see  their  faces.     And  then 
I  strove  to  pray  to  God  ;  then  I  bent  low  in  humility  and  sorrow, 
and  confessed  my  sins,   and  prayed  him  to  forgive  me.     I  had 
felt  so  guilty  before  that  I  dared  not  pray ;  but  now  there  was 
something  within  me  which  seemed  to  tell  me  there  was  hope 
beyond  the  grave.     When  I  had  slumbered  before,  my  dreams 
had  been   horrible;    phantoms   coming  to  upbraid  me  for  my 
crimes,  and  I  awakened,   often   grateful  that  all  the  dreadful 
scenes  I  had  passed  through  were  nothing  but  dreams.     And  now 
those  dreadful  shapes  and  phantoms  had  left  me,  and  sweeter 
sleep  had  succeeded.     As  my  heart  had  become  softened  within 
me,  it  seemed  as  though  a  bright  and  pleasant  influence  gradu- 
ally fell  upon  me.     My  dreams  became  pleasant,  and  the  little 
one  whose  death  I  was  the  means  of,  appeared  to  me  in  shining 
garments,  and  told  me  that  her  Father  in  heaven  forgave  me, 
and  that  I  should  come  to  her  home  and  be  vvith  her.     Ah !  that 
bright  spirit  made  the  poor  prisoner's  cell  gleam  and  shine  with 
heavenly  light,  for  I  felt  that  God  had  answered  my  prayer,  that 
there  was  mercy  even  for  me;  and  when  I  slumbered  it  was  with 
a  prayer  on  my  tongue  of  thankfulness  to  my  Father  in  heaven 
for  his  forgiveness,  which  had  brought  peace  and  comfort  to  me 
in  my  lonely  cell.     That  place  which  had  appeared  to  me  a  living 
tomb,   now  became  bright  and  pleasant  in  its   gloom,  and  the 
words  which  were  written  in  the  Book  of  Life  gave  me  hope  and 
joy.     And  I  daily  prayed,  and  daily  my  body  grew  weaker  ;  but 
my  soul  grew  stronger,  and  I  longed  to  leave  my  body  behind. 
My  thinking  had  brought  me  much  benefit,  for  now  my  thoughts 
were  pleasant  and  glad,  for  now  I  felt  happy  and  joyful.     There 
was  a  peaceful,  happy  feeling,  there  was  a  love  which  cast  out 
fear,  and  I  felt  as  if  there  were  loving  and  protecting  arms  about 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  367 

me,  even  me.  They  told  me  I  was  dying,  and  0 !  how  I  re- 
joiced. I  Tcneiu  I  was  dying ;  I  wanted  to  die,  to  embrace  tliat 
little  spirit  who  had  told  me  of  my  Father's  forgiveness.  And 
when  I  passed  from  death  unto  life,  there  was  none  so  near  to  take 
me  by  the  hand  as  that  happy  little  spirit.  She  told  me  that  I 
should  go  with  her,  for  I  had  repented  of  that  I  was  punished 
for,  and  my  punishment  had  been  greater  than  my  crime.  She 
said  there  was  no  injustice  there,  that  I  should  be  able  soon  to 
outlive  all  recollection  of  my  j^ast  misery,  in  the  life  I  was  about 
to  lead,  and  I  should  see  many  who  had  been  imprisoned,  as  I 
was,  for  crimes  which  they  had  not  been  really  guilty  of.  But 
God,  who  sees  the  heart,  would  punish  all  according  to  their 
works,  and  not  for  those  things  which  they  have  not  committed; 
but  the  real  culprit  will  here  also  meet  with  his  due  reward. 

I  find  no  prisons  here,  no  stripes,  no  starvation,  but  kind  spir- 
its who  pity  me  for  having  been  led  astray,  and  who  Avill  assist  me 
to  retrieve  that  which  was  done,  and  prepare  me  to  come  back  to 
the  poor,  weary,  heart-broken  prisoners,  and,  when  the  time  comes, 
to  speak  to  them  of  the  better  life,  which  is  beyond  the  gloomy 
walls  of  a  prison.  Peace  and  hope  will  light  up  their  sad  and 
desponding  hearts,  for  we  are  coming  in  a  mighty  strength  and 
power  to  raise  them  from  their  stupor." — Thomas  Ellis. 


A   PICTUEE  OF  THE  FUTUEE. 

"At  a  recent  meeting  of  the  Circle  of  Hope,  the  following  com- 
munication was  received  from  a  spirit  purporting  to  be  that  of 
Joan  of  Arc.  Some  of  the  circle  not  being  familiar  with  her 
history,  it  was  mentioned  that  she  had,  by  the  sacrifice  of  herself, 
redeemed  her  country  —  France. 

She  said,  "Yes;  and  France  has  to  be  redeemed  again.  I  am 
not  the  first  of  the  martyrs  who  lost  their  lives  in  the  cause  of 
truth  and  freedom ;  nor  shall  I  be  the  last,  even  at  this  late  day 
of  the  world's  enlightenment. 

But,  friends,  it  is  not  to  bring  this  gloomy  picture  before  your 
eyes  that  I  have  come  to-night.  0,  no !  It  is  with  a  far  dif- 
ferent object.  The  liglit  and  glory  which  have  been  cast  around 
me  in  my  spirit-home,  give  me  a  holy  and  beautiful  theme  to 
dwell  upon.    Not  for  me  alone  to  dwell  upon,  nor  for  spirits 


368  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

alone,  nor  for  angols  alone  to  dwell  upon,  but  for  mortals  too. 
Yes,  for  mortals ! 

In  the  darkness  and  superstition  of  the  past,  which  are  passing 
away  with  all  their  gloomy  forms  and  fancy-fraught  terrors, 
comes  the  light  of  revealed  love  and  wisdom,  as  the  harbinger  of 
peace,  joy,  hope,  and  redemption  to  be  wrought  on  ^artli.  Mar- 
tyrs who  have  suffered  for  the  glorious  cause  of  truth,  lift  up 
your  heads  with  joy  ineffable  !  Gaze  down  on  earth  again,  and 
rejoice  to  see  the  fruits  of  your  heaven-directed  labors !  Behold 
now  the  seeds  which  have  smouldered  for  a  season !  Lo,  they 
are  springing  forth  and  gaining  might.  The  dark  past  is  passing 
away;  and  the  bright  future,  how  it  gleams  before  me!  The 
strength  which  cometh  with  the  white-winged  messenger  is. being 
.  felt.  Its  power  is  spreading ;  its  love  is  directing  ;  its  might  is 
finding  the  mighty  as  well  as  the  lowly  of  earth.  0 !  the  deep 
springs  which  have  opened  in  many  hearts,  from  king  to  peasant, 
are  becoming  breathed  upon  by  the  spirit  of  progression  and  life- 
beaming  light!  Who  shall  withstand  the  power  of  that  light 
which  comes  as  a  stream  in  whose  placid  waters  they  may  bathe  ? 

And  lo !  Truth  cometh.  Lo!  it  groweth.  The  meek  and 
the  lowly  of  earth  receive  with  heartfelt  joy,  as  the  dove  bear- 
ing the  olive  branch  of  peace,  the  green,  the  beautiful  sym- 
bol of  hope  for  their  souls  —  the  resting  place  for  all :  for  each 
soul  is  being  unfolded,  and  all  may  feel  that  the  rock  of  ages 
is  more  firm  for  them,  than  the  throne  which  the  mighty  and 
high-souled  monarchs  of  earth  have  aspired  to  in  their  uplifted 
majesty.  And  the  light  will  level  the  world,  as  with  the  hand 
of  the  angel  of  death,  when  he  cometh  and  lays  all  low  alike. 
I  say  the  light  shall  level  the  people  of  the  world  ;  the  monarch 
will  be  but  the  man,  and  the  man  will  be  a  man  more  than  ever 
before :  and  woman  shall  become  a  strong  and  mighty  instru- 
ment in  the  glorious  work." 

[Some  remark  was  here  made  by  one  of  the  circle,  implying 
that  in  her  efiiorts  for  her  country,  she  must  have  been  inspired. 
And  the  spirit  said:]  "It  was  inspiration.  It  was  a  host  of 
spirits  wliich  loved  my  country  that  inspired  me,  and  I  did  not 
repel  them.  My  soul  saw  the  heaven  prepared  for  the  lover  of 
truth  and  justice,  and  has  felt  the  heaven  which  acting  —  tak- 
ing our  lives  in  our  hands,  and  going  forth  to  do  our  Father's 
work,  has  raised  me  to  also ;  which  has  filled  my  soul  with  holy 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  369 

joy,  and  lias  shown  me  the  hosts  which  aided  me  while  carrying 
out  the  design  which  advanced  my  country  one  step  in  her  up- 
ward destiny. 

The  earthly  tabernacles  erected  for  the  worship  of  the  Most 
High  shall  be  deserted,  or  looked  upon  as  places  of  the  terror  and 
darkness  which  have  for  centuries  ruled  the  mind  of  humanity, 
through  the  force  of  dry  and  unsatisfactory  laws,  given  forth 
as  the  mandates  of  the  glorious  Being  whose  only  law  is  love^ 
whose  only  mandate  is  peace.  And  each  heart  shall  erect  within 
itself  a  tabernacle,  an  altar,  whose  incense  shall  reach  the  pure 
throne  of  light,  and  return  with  an  odor  more  sweet  than  the 
breath  of  flowers  in  their  first  dawn  of  beauty.  When  the  struc- 
tures erected  by  the  hands  of  man  are  less  sought,  and  the  in- 
ward temple  of  the  soul  shall  rise  up  and  shine  forth  in  the 
splendor  of  its  natural  beauty,  then  dark  and  gloomy  indeed  will 
seem  the  past,  and  glorious  will  all  feel  the  present,  unfolding  to 
every  heart  new  fountains  of  light  and  life  everlasting. 

0 !  the  time  is  api^roaching  when  the  men  of  earth  shall  feel 
how  closely  their  interests,  their  immortal  interests,  all  inter- 
woven with  the  chain  which  reaches  between  the  earth  and  skies. 
And  the  links  of  that  chain  shall  be  so  commingled  as  to  draw 
dowa  the  spirits  of  the  great  and  good,  the  great  in  wisdom,  and 
the  mighty  in  truth,  who  have  long  since  passed  away,  ripened  in 
knowledge,  purified  in  love,  elevated  in  their  progression  in  the 
eternal  spheres  of  light,  and  now  descending  to  fulfil  their  mis- 
sion on  earth. 

Think  not  the  germ  of  immortal  flowers  has  ceased  to  act  upon 
their  native  ground — their  home  of  clay.  That  love  of  home,. 
of  earth,  of  country,  which  attracts  it,  shall  and  will  draw,  and 
is  drawing  back  those  purely  unfolded  spirits,  wlio  are  now  com- 
ing with  a  power  Avhose  resistless  course  shall  be  lighted  with  the 
beautiful  images  of  the  present  dawn,  and  will  show  the  gloom 
and  darkness  of  the  past  in  all  its  huge  and  ungainly  deformity- 
Will  not  the  mind  revolt  from  that  which  is  so  dark  and  repel- 
ling ?  and  shall  not  men  turn  away  from  it,  and  open  wide  their 
hearts  to  enjoy  the  beautiful  future  spread  out  before  thein  ?  — 
not  as  a  dream,  but  as  a  glorious  angel  of  life  and  love,  who  shall 
enter  every  heart,  and  gladden  every  homestead,  and  shall  so  act, 
so  cast  its  golden  fetters  around,  as  to  bring  the  best  family  of 
mankind  \vithin  its  gladsome  embrace. 


370  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK 

Is  the  picture  too  pale  ?  Does  it  seem  exaggerated,  to  your  view? 
Not  so  does  it  appear  to  spirits ;  but  the  colors  are  golden,  the 
tints  are  azure.  Ah  !  how  they  are  blending  and  shooting  forth 
in  all  directions  in  the  bright  firmament  of  joy,  which  speaks  in 
more  than  mortal  volumes  of  the  infinite  love  and  majesty  of 
the  Most  High  God." 


EXTRACTS  FEOM  COMMUNICATIONS  GIVEN  BY  DANIEL  WEBSTER. 

"I  find  I  am  what  I  believe  you  call  an  undeveloped  individual 
in  my  new  stage  of  existence.  But,  thank  G-od,  I  see  ample  fields 
opening  for  my  research,  which  I  might  have  entered  long  ago, 
had  I  been  so  minded. 

It  was  a  great,  though  not  a  grand  mistake  of  mine  not  to  seek 
the  truth  before,  regarding  this  matter. 

In  my  day  I  sought  out  many  truths,  and  many  new  truths  to 
many  minds;  but  now  I  see  that  the  most  important  truth  was 
altogether  overlooked.  My  soul  felt  with  an  overwhelming  force 
the  mighty  sense,  the  infinite  power  of  the  Almighty  in  all  his 
works.  The  grand  and  glorious  hand  of  Nature  imparted  her 
divine  revelation ;  but,  friends,  I  never  sought  the  voice  which 
might  touch  my  heart  and  receive  an  answer  in  the  flesh. 

It  is  this  I  mourn  for  now.  How  clearly  do  I  now  perceive  my 
short-comings !  But,  thank  God,  my  life  has  not  been  spent  en- 
tirely in  vain  for  my  country  or  mankind.  I  speak  not  thus  with 
a  feeling  of  triumph,  or  boastingly,  but  with  a  feeling  of  regret 
that  I  had  not  more  wisely  directed  my  talents,  and  had  not  ena- 
bled myself  to  let  the  glorious  gifts  of  God  in  me  shine  forth  in 
a  purer,  broader,  and  better  light. 

As  I  look  back  on  my  past  career,  I  see  much  to  regret,  and 
much  to  rejoice  for.  I  see  at  the  present  period  in  my  country's 
history,  peace  and  plenty,  and  the  people  as  happy  as  they  possi- 
bly could  be,  under  the  present  state  of  affairs.  But  since  I  have 
thrown  off  my  mortal  body,  my  spirit  has  taken  a  bird's-eye  view 
of  the  universe.  0  God  !  how  dark  it  seems  even  here !  [There 
were  evident  signs  of  deep  emotion.] 

It  appears  as  though  the  minds  which  directed  the  people, 
were  undirected  themselves  in  so  many  respects,  where,  had  they 
done  differently,  a  different  state  of  things  would  now  exist.    But 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  371 

I  have  no  right  to  complain ;  I  did  not  see  it  while  here,  to  so 
great  an  extent  as  I  now  see  it. 

Oh  I  see  how  very  great  the  darkness  of  the  leaders  has  been, 
in  respect  to  the  wants  of  the  people,  and  my  own  leanness  in 
this  respect,  stands  before  me  as  a  withered  tree. 

You  wish  to  know  my  object  in  coming  here  to-night.  It  is 
easily  told.  You  all  know  my  former  character;  you  cannot  pos- 
sibly believe  I  can  so  soon  become  spiritual  minded.  Clonds  of 
materialism  which  darkened  the  finer  elements  of  my  mind,  still 
cast  their  shadows  around  me;  but  I  wish  you  to  understand, 
that  I  realize  what  I  might  have  been,  what  I  am,  and  what  I  am 
to  be.  My  life  on  earth  was  misspent,  and  my  mission  is,  to 
make  the  atonement  for  it.  To  be  the  Daniel  Webster  on  earth, 
and  the  Daniel  Webster  in  heaven. 

It  will  be  my  earnest  wish  to  benefit  my  fellow-beings  on  earth. 
My  sympathy  is  with  them ;  I  participate  in  their  hopes  and 
fears,  and  you  will  not  therefore  be  surprised  at  my  desire  again 
to  return  to  earth.  I  will  atone  for  all  the  wrongs  I  may  have 
committed,  consciously  or  unconsciously,  as  far  as  shall  lie  within 
myself. 

That  seems  to  be  the  first  duty  which  is  required  of-  me  in  my 
new  home ;  to  see  myself  in  true  colors,  that  the  false  colors  may 
be  stripped  from  around  my  existence,  and  the  true  shine  forth 
wuth  greater  and  native  brilliancy.  [There  was  something  in  the 
manner  in  which  this  was  delivered,  that  struck  those  of  us  who 
had  heard  him  speak,  as  remarkably  characteristic  of  him;  and 
we  gave  utterance  to  the  thought.  He  said :  How  happy  I  am. 
You  do  more  than  I  would  have  done.     You  all  believe  it.] 

In  my  short  existence  I  find  that  sin  must  forgive  itself,  by  ex- 
piating itself  in  the  mind.  How  naturally  the  former  life, 
former  faults,  and  former  follies,  all  rise  up  before  me  and  re- 
proach me,  and  almost  take  the  form  of  an  avenging  angel.  If 
there  is  a  hell,  it  is  when  such  thoughts  reign  supreme;  and  if 
there  is  a  heaven,  it  is  the  recollection  of  having  performed  the 
duty  required  of  us  by  the  Great  First  Cause,  who  gave  us  out 
talents  to  be  used  for  the  benefit  of  our  fellow-men,  and  made  us 
the  machines  to  direct  the  springs  placed  within  our  bodies. 

That  is  to  be  my  greatness  again.  My  mission  will  consist  in 
reaching  men  in  many  different  ways;  not  in  one,  or  two,  or 


372  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

twenty  ways,  will  I  perform  the  work  whioli  I  am  beginning  to 
learn  merely  the  alphabet  of. 

Thank  Heaven,  no  qualms  of  conscience,  prejudice,  or  principle, 
shall  act  there  as  a  barrier  to  obstruct  the  full  flow  of  my  soul's 
aspirations  after  goodness  and  wisdom,  to  surround  me  with  the 
ennobling  and  beautifying  principles  which  have  lain  deeply  im- 
bedded within  my  soul. 

In  glancing  over  my  past  existence,  I  perceive  many  feelings 
which  lay  buried  within  my  being  were  concealed  from  my  view 
by  the  outward  causes  which  were  acting  upon,  and  moulded  my 
mind,  and  left  their  impress  graven  upon  my  public  career  in 
letters  which  time  will  not  efface. 

Had  I  a  thousand  tongues  to  tell  the  multitude  of  wonders, 
they  should  all  be  of  the  great  and  reforming  in  all  its  aspects, 
the  good  of  my  country,  the  good  of  mankind  at  large,  through 
the  exceedingly  beautiful  and  natural  laws  which  are  bringing 
the  world  of  reality  and  that  which  has  been  hitherto  one  of 
shadows  together. 

My  words  fail  to  describe  my  feelings,  when  I  attempt  to  por- 
tray the  delight  which  I  feel  thrill  through  my  soul,  with  a  warm 
glow  of  happiness,  in  contemplating  the  high  destiny  of  the 
human  race.  I  do  not  speak  of  that  which  is  to  come  in  centu- 
ries. I  do  not  wish  to  carry  my  ideas  out  of  your  reach ;  but 
I  mean  within  a  few  short  years  which  I  can  speak  of,  as  know- 
ing the  meaning  of  what  I  say,  having  so  lately  been  guided  by  the 
same  measure  of  time  myself. 

I  feel  that  the  high  and  beautiful  wisdom  of  the  Almighty 
God  is  indeed  manifesting  itself  in  a  manner  miraculous  to  spirits 
and  astounding  to  mortals.  And  were  I  willing  at  this  period  of 
time  to  become  a  visionary  rather  than  the  practical  man  which 
I  ever  delighted  to  be,  I  could  paint  such  pictures  as  would  open 
the  bowers  of  Eden,  green  and  beautiful,  to  your  view,  fanned  by 
the  wings  of  angels,  soothed  by  the  breath  of  love  and  hope  — 
bright  hope,  harmonized  by  the  all-pervading  power  of  wisdom, 
which  not  only  has  worked,  but  is  continually  working,  wonders 
in  the  flesh  and  in  the  spirit.  It  would  be  a  picture  of  peace  and 
happiness,  brought  into  operation  by  the  co-operation  of  men  and 
spirits,  which,  through  their  combined  efforts,  will  yet  concen- 
trate the  forces  of  their  powers,  and  their  strength  shall  be  felt 
through  every  nerve  and  fibre  of  the  human  mind. 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  373 

To  me,  who  can  now  view  these  things  independent  of  mortal 
eyes,  the  prospect  is  indeed  cheering.  Pray  Heaven  that  the  eye 
of  your  understanding  may  be  opened  to  realize  here  what  I  never 
appreciated  in  its  stupendous  might  and  majesty  until  I  arrived 
there.  I  am  grateful  and  humiliated  to  find  how  true  is  the 
truth  of  this  returning  to  earth,  and  how  foolish  is  the  blindness 
which  makes  men  turn  away  their  eyes  and  shut  their  hearts  to 
the  knowledge  which  speaks  to  the  heart  in  a  trumpet  tone,  or 
reaches  them  through  the  still  small  voice  of  conscience. 

My  experience  has  been  but  of  short  duration,  yet  long  enough 
to  see  and  to  feel  how  much  of  the  true  knowledge  which  might 
govern  and  direct  the  human  mind,  for  its  temporal  as  well  as 
spiritual  welfare,  I  was  utterly  ignorant  of.  I  now  see  how  ut- 
terly incapable  men  are,  with  their  present  knowledge  and  past 
experience,  of  advancing  the  welfare  of  the  human  race  in  the 
progression  eternal  which  might  be,  if  better  acquainted  with  the 
human  and  divine  laws,  apparent  around  you. 

The  laws  which  men  make  are  so  different  from  nature's  laws ! 
I  have  been  looking  into  the  narrow  platform  of  thoughts  and 
fears  which  men  are  constantly  erecting  and  constantly  over- 
throwing, for  the  simple  reason  that  the  platform  is  not  wide 
enough,  and  thus  one  scale  outweighs  the  other. 

As  I  look  abroad  over  the  earth,  over  my  own  loved  country,  I 
see  so  many  small  circles,  so  many  small  platforms,  that  they 
need  a  larger  one  to  revolve  around. 

I  am  astonished  as  I  look  around  to  see  how  very  contracted 
my  ideas  were,  yet  I  fondly  imagined  I  took  a  flight  like  the 
eagle  in  her  soarings  to  view  the  extended  map  of  mind. 

Friends,  will  you  doubt  me  M'hcn  I  tell  you  I  see  a  great  and 
gradual  change  which  will  soon  cover  the  face  of  the  earth  ?  I 
sec  the  fires  blazing  up  and  breaking  forth  in  different  direciious, 
and  I  see  many  and  miglity  spirits  lighting  these  fires  and  feeding 
them ;  many  great  and  mighty  men  who  have  passed  away  from 
the  earth,  coming  in  strength  to  help  the  work  of  the  redemption 
of  man. 

I  feel  I  have  a  great  part  to  take  in  this  mighty  revolution.  It 
has  begun,  and  is  spreading  and  overwhelming,  as  the  billows  roll 
over  the  great  face  of  the  waters  when  lashed  to  fury  by  some 
unseen  power. 

0,  that  I  had  begun  my  seeking  sooner  !    that  I  had  wisely 


374  THE    UNSEALED   BOOK. 

improved  the  talent  given  me,  and  let  it  shine  forth  !  for  then  it 
would  have  lighted  my  path  upward  to  the  mansions  above. 

Mighty  thoughts  rush  through  my  brain  as  I  look  abroad  — 
too  great  for  utterance  now.  I  see  that  this  work  is  to  be  a  prac- 
tical one.  It  is  not  to  be  performed  by  the  writers  or  philoso- 
phers, the  wise  men  or  the  poets  of  the  day  [alone  ?],  but  all,  from 
the  greatest  to  the  lowest,  are  to  assist  and  be  instruments  of  util- 
ity, not  as  servants,  but  as  heirs,  as  brothers,  who  will  alike  enjoy 
the  fruits  of  their  labor.  The  young,  the  old,  the  middle-aged, — 
all  are  to  assist. 

In  looking  back  upon  many  of  my  friends  who  were  familiar 
with  me  here,  I  see  that  before  six  months,  or  a  year  at  furthest, 
shall  elapse,  many  of  them  will  have  embraced  and  will  proclaim 
this  great  truth,  and  I  see  some  of  them  are  to  join  me  and  assist 
me  in  more  ways  than  one.  I  see  many  among  my  friends  whose 
minds  are  awakened  to  the  subject,  but  whose  fears  deter  them 
from  investigating,  and  I  see  many  of  the  spirit-friends  who  are 
keeping  the  feelings  alive. 

You  speak  of  your  statesmen's  having  left  you,  of  your  having 
none  to  fill  their  places.  Greater  than  they  will  fill  their  places. 
Mightier  than  they  shall  speak  to  the  nation,  in  language  bring- 
ing flowers  of  truth  for  man  to  live  by  and  to  die  by.  To  die: 
the  word  will  be  banished  from  earth.  It  is  but  an  exchange, 
a  putting  off  the  worn-out  frame,  and  entering  the  new  and 
beautiful  spirit-covering  which  is  prepared  for  us  as  we  emerge 
from  the  world  —  not  of  shadows,  but  of  bright  realities. 

My  ideas  are  imperfectly  given,  owing  to  the  difiiculties  of 
communicating,  and  my  want  of  knowledge  of  its  laws.  I  have 
been  anxious  to  speak  here  before,  but  have  not  always  been  able 
to  impress  my  name.  But  I  am  improving,  and  hope  soon  to  be 
able  to  impart  some  things  of  utility,  something  practically  to 
benefit  those  who  take  an  interest  in  this  good  work.  How  I 
regret  I  did  not  begin  sooner!  My  feelings  overcome  me  when  I 
look  on  what  I  might  have  been.  My  language  may  not  have 
appeared  like  that  of  Daniel  Webster;  but  I  was  anxious  to  be- 
gin, though  I  began  as  a  child,  for  I  know  you  will  make  good 
use  of  it,  and  it  will  be  of  much  use  to  my  surviving  friends." 

Experiences  and  counsel  given  hy  Margaret  Fuller  (Countess 
Ossoli),  December,  1852.     "My  sojourn  in  your  sphere  seems  now 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  375 

as  an  indistinct  dream,  in  comparison  with  the  real  life  which  I  now 
enjoy.  And  I  regard  the  raging  of  the  elements,  which  freed  my 
dearest  kindred  and  myself  from  our  earthly  bodies,  as  the  means 
of  opening  to  us  the  portals  of  immortality.  And  we  beheld  that 
we  were  born  again,  born  out  of  the  flesh  into  the  spirit.  How 
surprised  and  overjoyed  was  I,  when  I  saw  my  new  condition ! 
The  change  was  so  sudden,  so  glorious,  from  mortality  to  immor- 
tality, that  at  first  I  was  unable  to  comprehend  it.  From  the  dark 
waves  of  the  ocean,  cold,  and  overcome  with  fatigue  and  terror,  I 
emerged  into  a  sphere  of  beauty  and  loveliness.  How  differently 
every  thing  appeared !  What  an  air  of  calmness  and  repose  sur- 
rounded me  !  How  transparent  and  pure  seemed  the  sky  of  liv- 
ing blue  !  And  how  delightfully  I  inhaled  the  joure,  life-giving 
atmosphere!  A  dimming  mist  seemed  to  have  fallen  from  my 
eyes,  so  calm  and  so  beautiful  in  their  perfection  were  all  things 
which  met  my  view.  And  then  kind  and  loving  friends  ap- 
proached me,  with  gentle  words  and  sweet  affection;  and,  0,  I 
said  within  my  soul,  surely  heaven  is  more  the  reality  of  lovli- 
ness  than  it  ever  was  conceived  to  be  on  earth  by  the  most  loving 
hearts.  Already  are  my  highest  earthly  impressions  of  beauty 
and  liappines  more  than  realized.  It  is  owing  to  the  influence 
of  angels  that  men  sometimes  give  forth  thoughts  which  seem  to 
shine  with  the  light  of  heaven,  and  to  breathe  of  the  harmony  in 
the  spheres  of  immortality,  and  which,  from  their  purity,  men  say 
are  the  words  of  inspiration.  And  truly  it  is  inspiration  from 
the  world  of  light.  It  comes  to  earth  borne  by  loving  spirits. 
The  winds  of  adversity  which  passed  over  their  souls  while  on 
earth,  but  purified  and  chastened  them,  and  rendered  them  more 
sensitive  to  the  enjoyment  of  never-ending  happiness.  And  hav- 
ing advanced  into  a  knowledge  of  the  harmonious  laws  which 
govern  their  abodes,  they  forget  not  their  friends  on  earth ;  but 
with  strengthened  affection  and  exalted  wisdom,  they  respond  to 
the  attraction  of  love  which  connects  the  two  spheres,  and  aspir- 
ing men  receive  the  influx  of  pure  spirituality.  Could  the  chil- 
dren of  earth  but  look  beyond  the  range  of  mortal  vision,  they 
would  see  these  angel-fricnds  surrounding  them,  sympatliizing 
with  them  in  woe,  and  rejoicing  in  their  happiness,  and  dispensing 
blessings  of  kindness  and  love. 

But,  shall  I  speak  to  you  of  that  which  is  gloomy  and  sad  ? 
0,  yes !  I  feel  it  to  be  my  duty.    Do  you  see  those  people  of  the 


376  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

world,  who  are  led  by  no  higher  law  than  that  of  selfishness; 
who  have  no  purer  desires  than  those  which  are  engendered  by 
their  own  dark  passions  and  inconsistent  lives;  who  soar  not 
above  their  own  sensuous  thoughts;  but  who  are  ever  seeking 
happiness,  in  that  which  brings  nought  but  misery?  See  how 
this  degrading  condition  is  crushing  them ;  how  it  increases  the 
hardships  of  the  poverty-stricken,  causing  them  to  expend  their 
whole  energies  in  incessant  toil  for  food;  how  the  rich,  the  well- 
fed  son  of  mammon,  of  luxury,  and  ease,  from  his  sensual  prompt- 
ings, sullies  the  purity  of  helpless  innocence,  and  heaps  misery 
upon  the  dependent ;  when,  if  his  mind  had  been  rightly  directed, 
he  would  have  spent  his  gold  in  filling  the  mouths  of  the  hungry, 
and  lifting  the  daughters  of  degradation  from  their  woe-stricken 
state.  And  behold  the  little  human  waifs  and  strays  of  society, 
who  wander  unnoticed  through  your  thoroughfares.  Tiny  but 
immortal  souls,  do  they  not  need  earthly  guardians  to  guide 
them  in  the  ways  of  virtue,  and  turn  their  young  hearts  from  the 
allurements  of  sin  ?  The  fathers  which  nature  gave  them  have 
proved  unworthy  of  their  trust,  and  need,  God  help  them,  teach- 
ers themselves. 

0,  when  I  gaze  abroad, —  if  it  were  only  upon  your  great  city 
—  how  much  vanity  and  injustice  do  I  behold!  I  see  your  mag- 
nificent buildings  richly  adorned  with  all  that  wealth  and  luxury 
can  bestow,  dedicated  as  temples  of  worship  —  of  tuorship  !  — 
of  forms  of  worship  !  As  though  the  incense  of  your  hearts  would 
ascend  sweeter  through  the  arched  dome,  or  the  service  be  more 
acceptable,  because  performed  in  a  costly  edifice !  God  looketh 
not  to  the  works  of  thy  hand,  0  man  !  for  worship.  He  asks 
thee  not  to  build  temples  of  beauty,  which  please  the  eye ;  but  he 
asks  of  thee  a  sincere  heart,  for  prayers  sent  forth  from  the  inner 
Sanctuary  of  the  soul.  And  let  thine  offerings  of  gold,  and  silver, 
and  precious  stones,  be  made  to  God,  by  dispensing  them  to  thy 
needy  brethren.  And  the  anthems  of  joy  which  these  shall  cause 
to  ascend  from  their  grateful  hearts,  will  be  more  sweet  to  him 
than  the  softest  music  which  proceeds  from  a  thousand  instru- 
ments of  human  skill. 

How  sadly  my  spirit  looks  back  upon  the  place  it  once  inhabi- 
ted, to  see  so  much  that  is  wrong  when  so  little  would  make  it 
one  glorious  right.  Would  that  men  would  join  their  hands  to- 
gether, and  with  united  hearts  say.  Let  us  assist  our  brother  from 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  377 

the  light  that  we  have  received;  let  us  lighten  his  overburdened 
soul  of  its  care  and  sorrow,  by  relieving  his  physical  wants,  and 
enlightening  his  mind ;  and  thus  raise  him  from  a  level  with  the 
brute,  to  the  plane  where  something  more  is  required  than  mere 
animal  food,  or  sensual  gratification  in  any  form.  Let  us  help 
him  to  repel  those  dark  spirits,  which  his  low  and  undeveloped 
nature  attracts  to  be  his  companions.  Let  us  show  him  that 
much  that  is  dark  and  repulsive  in  himself,  is  rendered  still  more 
so  by  the  influences  which  are  in  affinity  with  him.  Nay,  start 
not!  it  is  true:  for  as  like  attracts  like,  and  darkness  loves  dark- 
ness the  best,  so,  in  like  manner,  ignorant,  unhappy  spirits,  linger 
around  the  haunts  of  vice  and  wretchedness,  and  often  assist  men 
in  their  dark  deeds  of  sin;  and  these  influences  men  call  the 
Devil.  They  attribute  all  to  one  individual  fiend,  who  is  made 
omnipotent ;  forgetting  that  when  man  gives  way  to  all  that  is 
degrading  and  debasing  in  his  nature,  obeying  only  his  animal 
instincts,  and  shutting  out  the  pure  and  good,  he  can  be  called 
by  no  other  name  than  evil.  But  when  the  lowest  among  you 
shall  have  his  higher  faculties  developed,  and  his  intellectual 
powers  expanded  by  elevated  knowledge,  he  will  shine  in  all  the 
beauty  of  manhood ;  and  will  not  go  down  to  the  grave  in  his  sin 
and  degradation,  to  give  the  world  occasion  to  say.  He  is  a  sinner 
and  eternally  lost.  None  need  consider  that  he  must  enter  the 
spirit-world  to  suffer  the  torments  of  hell,  or  to  taste  the  joys  of 
heaven.  The  knowledge  of  man's  own  debasement  will  bring 
punishment,  even  in  the  flesh;  and  the  consciousness  of  progress 
in  truth  and  goodness,  and  the  participations  of  their  blessings, 
is  the  foretaste  of  heaven  on  earth.  There  is  no  further  hell 
for  him  who  is  engaged  in  Avell-doing ;  but  his  pathway  leads 
gradually  and  beautifully  upward,  into  the  brightness  of  the 
Heavenly  Father's  smile,  which  illuminates  the  countenances  of 
his  progressing  children,  and  reveals  their  way  into  the  higher 
spheres. 

Softly  and  sweetly  now  are  many  good  spirits  breathing  heav- 
enly words  into  mortal  hearts.  Voices  that  have  long  since 
passed  from  earth  are  returning  on  a  mission  of  love.  Do  not 
repel  their  gentle  advances,  for  they  come  to  benefit  your  race. 
They  come  as  brothers  and  sisters ;  and  though  they  have  often 
been  denied  a  reception,  the  time  is  at  hand  when  their  voices 
must  be  heard  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land 


378  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

when  they  will  speak  in  trumpet-tones  of  the  errors  and  forma 
which  ye  have  so  deeply  cherished.  And  all  that  is  truthful  and 
beautiful  shall  shine  forth  in  uudimmed  purity,  and  that  which 
is  obscure  shall  be  made  plain.  And  all  shall  ultimately  expe- 
rience the  benefits  and  joys  of  communion  with  the  heavenly 
spheres.  It  shall  be  food  alike  for  all  men ;  for  none  will  reject 
it,  because  of  its  healthful  and  life-giving  influences.  And  as  I 
look  to  earth  again,  from  my  spirit-home,  I  truly  rejoice  to  see 
the  good  work  progressing;  and  am  happy  to  know  that  as  a 
spirit  who  has  inhabited  the  earthly  sphere,  I  can  come  back  and 
contribute  my  mite  toward  the  great  work  of  human  redemp- 
tion."—  Maegaeet  Fuller. 


THE   MAN  OF   EASE   AND   FASHION. 

This  evening  the  circle  met,  and  then,  through  Mrs.  Sweet,  it 
was  said :  — 

"  This  is  a  jolly  sort  of  a  world,  anyway,  but  I  'm  tired  to  death. 
I  don't  know  what  to  do  with  myself.  I  've  travelled  all  over 
the  world,  searched  out  every  object  of  interest,  gone  into  every 
nook  and  corner,  and  now  I  have  returned  home.  It  is  a  dull 
and  tedious  world  to  live  in.  I  hate  reading,  poring  over  your 
dry,  musty  books  ;  trashy  novels  are  worse  yet.  I  'm  tired  of 
smoking.  My  constitution  is  worn  out,  and  I  can't  stand  strong 
drink.  There  is  nothing  here  fit  to  eat ;  confound  'em !  Why 
do  n't  they  have  decent  cooks  here  ?  Nothing  tastes  good.  Well, 
it  is  a  weary  world.  I  wonder  what  a  man  was  made  for  !  I've 
plenty  of  time  and  money,  and  my  friends  say,  'Why  don't  you 
enjoy  yourself?' 

Those  devilish  horses  like  to  have  broke  my  neck  the  other  day. 
Well,  I  'm  becoming  more  and  more  disgusted  with  the  world 
every  day.  Then  what  '11  become  of  a  fellow  when  he  dies  ? 
Never  mind,  I  ain't  a  going  to  die  yet. 

They  say  I  ought  to  take  a  wife ;  that  would  be  only  a  slight 
change.  But  women  are  such  insipid  toys  —  mere  trifling  little 
dolls ;  they  must  be  complimented  and  praised  forever,  or  they  are 
pouting  and  looking  so  dismal.  I  sha'  n't  get  married.  I  think 
more  of  my  horses  and  dogs  than  of  a  wife,  a  damned  sight. 

Where  shall  I  travel  to  ?    I  've  been  to  Paris,  and  London,  and 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  379 

all  the  big  cities,  and  danced  and  waltzed  and  done  everything  a 
fasliionable  young  man  should  do,  and  a  little  more. 

I  just  happen  to  think  that  while  I  was  in  Italy,  walking  along, 
one  day,  quite  discontented,  in  a  secluded  street,  I  happened  to 
meet  a  grave-looking  personage,  and  I  thought  I  'd  speak  to  him, 
to  while  away  the  time ;  it  was  so  confounded  dull.  We  got  to  talk- 
ing earnestly.  He  questioned  me  a  good  deal.  I  told  him  I  felt  life 
a  stale  sort  of  matter,  and  I  'd  about  as  lief  step  out;  enjoyment 
had  lost  its  meaning  with  me.  Well,  he  asked  me  if  I  had  ever 
done  any  good  with  my  money,  anything  that  would  lead  to  a 
good  end  ?  I  said  I  thought  I  had,  for  I  had  spent  a  good  deal 
in  my  day.  He  asked  me  what  I  was  living  for,  and  upon  my 
soul  I  could  n't  tell  hkn.  That  set  me  to  thinking  mighty 
strong.  He  asked  me  if  I  had  any  ideas  of  a  state  after  death. 
Such  questions  always  made  me  uncomfortable.  Father's  ser- 
vants were  never  permitted  to  talk  to  his  children  of  such  things 
as  death,  or  the  soul  after  death.  That  subject  was  never  intro- 
duced into  our  family.  Anything  gloomy  or  unpleasant  was 
strictly  forbidden,  as  depriving  us  of  part  of  the  enjoyment  of 
our  lives  as  children.  So  if  any  of  our  friends  or  the  servants 
were  taken  sick  and  died,  it  was  only  whispered  in  the  family, 
and  none  allowed  to  speak  of  it  openly.  And  when  I  went  to 
church  in  the  family  carriage,  our  minister  preached  us  pleasant 
stories,  glowing  descriptions  of  heaven.  He  sometimes  spoke  of 
the  wicked  and  their  punishment;  but  we  knew  nothing  about 
such  things,  and  did  n't  consider  Ave  had  anything  to  do  with  that 
part  of  the  discourse.  Then,  sometimes,  the  minister  rode  home 
and  dined  with  us.  He  would  m.ake  a  beautiful  prayer;  and,  on 
parting  he  would  pat  us  on  the  head  and  tell  us  to  obey  our 
father  and  mother  who  were  such  good  Christians,  and  one  of  these 
days,  when  we  became  men  and  women,  we  should  follow  their 
example  and  be  a  bright  and  shining  light  to  all  around  us.  So, 
after  a  while,  our  parents  died.  I  felt  bad  —  very  sorry ;  I  could  n't 
bear  to  look  at  'em,  and  I  did  n't ;  nor  think  of  'em.  We  'd 
never  been  allowed  to  think  of  the  dead,  and  so  we  forgot  'em 
soon  as  possible. 

Well,  when  I  left  college  I  started  with  a  large  fortune,  plenty 
of  time,  youth,  and  health,  but  not  much  of  an  education,  for  our 
teachers  overlooked  my  faults,  for  I  had  wealthy  parents,  and 
they  did  n't  like  to  be  too  severe. 


380  THE    UNSEALED   BOOK. 

I  've  been  wandering  ever  since  from  place  to  place  in  search  of 
enjojmient.  At  first  I  did  enjoy  every  thing  vastly ;  but  really  I 
do  n't  know  why,  but  I  do  n't  enjoy  anything  now ;  I  'm  just  tired 
of  life,  and  that 's  all.  Gambling  was  once  a  great  source  of  en- 
joyment, a  fierce  sort  of  pleasure  ;  I  used  to  feel  almost  frenzied 
sometimes  while  engaged  in  it,  but  it  got  to  be  an  old  thing,  like 
every  thing  else, 

I  really  think  I  'm  getting  out  of  health ;  I  'm  not  half  so  strong 
as  I  was.  My  appetite  is  poor ;  the  doctor  says  I  must  take  ex- 
ercise, and  I  'm  too  weak  to  do  it,  that 's  the  fact  of  the  matter. 
It  jars  my  nerves.  I  feel  best  when  reclining  in  an  easy-chair  or 
soft  settee.  I  drive  out  occasionally,  but  the  air  affects  me  con- 
siderably. I  don 't  know  of  one  resource  to  relieve  the  mo- 
notony of  my  dull  and  tasteless  existence.  I  thought  I  had 
friends  ;  but,  the  fools !  they  are  not  willing  to  sit  with  an  invalid. 
They  want  excitement  as  I  used  to,  and  that 's  now  distasteful  to 
me. 

Now  I  'm  all  alone,  with  that  cross  old  nurse,  and  that  stern 
old  doctor,  with  his  nasty,  poisonous  drugs.  I  'm  becoming  very 
feeble.  My  lawyer  visited  me  the  other  day.  I  think  of  making 
my  will.  I  can  hardly  stand ;  my  limbs  are  so  trembling  that 
they  refuse  to  support  me. 

I  don't  know  who  to  leave  my  money  to.  I've  plenty  of  poor 
relations,  but  they'll  only  spend  it.  They  are  vulgar  people,  and 
don 't  know  how  to  use  it.  I  guess  I  '11  leave  it  to  the  Club ;  there 
are  some  noble  fellows  there,  and  they  will  appreciate  it.  How 
my  eyesight  fails  me  !    Yet  I  'm  young  —  not  yet  forty. 

I  do  n't  see  why  I  should  be  so  weak.  I  haven 't  done  any  la- 
bor ;  I  've  lived  an  easy  life.  What  has  worn  out  my  constitu- 
tion ?  The  doctor  says  it  is  extreme  debility,  want  of  muscular 
energy.     Strange  one  of  my  age  should  be  worn  out  already ! 

Doctor,  you  know  that  old  nurse  the  other  day  talked  of  send- 
ing for  a  minister.  What  could  I  do  with  one  ?  I  've  never  done 
anything  bad.  I  do  n't  want  to  be  shrived  for  my  sins.  If  the 
minister  could  restore  my  lost  health  !  But  he  would  only  make 
long  prayers,  and  ask  me  to  remember  his  church  in  my  will.  I 
won't  see 'em.  I'm  gloomy  enough  now.  If  it's  time  for  me  to 
pass  away,  it 's  just  as  well  without  a  minister  as  with. 

Here  Mrs.  S.  went  through  the  death-scene,  during  which  he 
muttered  a  prayer  for  forgiveness  of  his  sins,  and  then  she  added : — 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  381 

Is  this  my  body  ?  Pagh  !  I  've  left  that ;  it  seems  I  've  died. 
I  've  left  that  world,  and  waked  up  in  another.  After  all,  I  am 
right  by  my  body  here.  I  don't  want  to  leave  it.  I  don't  know 
where  to  go.  I  'd  like  to  get  up  above  it  if  I  could,  but  I  can't. 
Strange  !  I  see  people  around  it,  fixing  it.  They  do  n't  see  me.  Up 
above  there  is  another  kind  of  people.  Down  there  they  do  n't 
seem  to  be  much.  They  're  beckoning  me  to  come  up  to  them. 
I  see  people  above  me,  and  I  '11  try  to  go  to  them ;  but  I  seem 
very  heavy,  not  adapted  to  walking  on  air;  yet  I'm  afraid  to  go 
away  from  my  body,  for  I  don't  know  where  I  'm  going.  There 
is  no  sympathy  or  companionship  below,  and  beyond  all  seems 
uncertainty.  It 's  very  disagreeable  traveling  when  one  takes  one 
step,  and  don't  know  where  the  next  is  going  to  be.  I  can't  see 
clearly.  As  I  leave  my  body  in  the  distance  I  seem  to  be  going 
into  a  different  atmosphere;  still  it 's  not  clear,  not  light  —  very 
dim  and  uncertain.  They  are  still  beckoning  to  me.  I  should 
like  to  go  there. 

There  are  some  people  approaching  me.  They're  strangers  I 
never  saw  before,  very  common-looking  people.  I  think  I  won't 
speak  to  them.  They're  coming  right  up  to  me.  They  tell  me 
they  will  lead  me  to  the  place  prepared  for  me.  Very  singular ! 
a  place  prepared  for  me,  and  I  know  nothing  about  it.  I  now 
remember  what  the  minister  used  to  say  of  the  glories  of  heaven. 
It's  there  they're  going  to  lead  me.  I  think  they  might  send 
some  more  intelligent,  genteel  guides.  However,  I  presume  I  '11 
find  it  all  right,  and  apartments  furnished  sumptuously,  and 
servants  perfectly  drilled,  and  the  cooking  of  exquisite  order.  I 
really  feel  quite  elated.  I  '11  accept  the  services  of  these  common 
people;  perhaps  they  could  n't  spare  their  better  servants  to  come 
such  a  distance.  I  deserve  a  place  in  heaven,  I  know.  I  never 
murdered  nor  robbed,  but  I  did  two  or  three  things  not  quite  right, 
but  they  overlooked  such  things  on  earth,  and  why  won't  they 
here  ?  Shall  I  meet  that  female  there  ?  But  I  've  no  idea  she 
can  enter  such  a  place.  The  child  died,  and  so  it  is  quite  for- 
gotten now.  Still  it  makes  me  feel  unpleasant,  and  hesitate  ;  but 
among  refined  people  it  is  only  a  youthful  folly.  I  '11  not  trouble 
myself  about  it. 

Strange  those  people  do  n't  address  me.  They  seem  waiting  for 
me;  but  I  suppose  they  are  diffident,  so  I'll  speak  first.  'Well, 
friends,  are  you  waiting  for  me  ?    Are  you  sent  to  conduct  me  to 


382  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

that  beautiful  place  called  heaven  ? '  They  're  not  waiting  for  me. 
What  does  that  mean  ?  Have  I  been  deceived  ?  Is  there  no  such 
place  as  heaven  ?  No  such  beautiful  place  as  the  minister  used 
to  talk  about  ?  Yes ;  then  why  not  to  your  duty,  and  lead  me 
straight  there  ?  They  tell  me  I  must  go  another  way.  Are  you 
not  servants  ?  No.  And  you  are  to  be  my  companions  ?  That 's 
a  mistake.  Can  you  lead  me  to  my  friends  who  must  be  waiting 
to  receive  me?  My  father  and  mother  must  be  inhabitants  of 
heaven,  for  they  were  bright  and  shining  Christians ;  my  brother, 
and  sisters,  and  other  relatives,  must  be  in  this  vast  country 
somewhere ;  I'm  not  accustomed  to  such  treatment  as  this. 

They  stand  and  look  at  me,  and  make  no  reply ;  strange,  I 
do  n't  understand  it.  Is  it  possible  I  am  to  have  no  other  com- 
panion but  these  common,  though  coarse  people  ?  Yet  they  look 
honest  and  friendly ;  but  I  can 't  associate  with  them.  Their 
manner  of  living  must  be  so  coarse.  One  asks  me  to  listen  to 
him.  Very  well,  but  speak  quickly,  for  I  'm  weary  of  this  long 
delay,  of  this  gloomy  place,  which  is  not  half  so  good  as  earth. 

He  tells  me,  they  are  sent  to  instruct  me.  Preposterous! 
These  coarse  people  sent  to  teach  me  ! 

He  tells  me  my  life  has  been  very  worthless,  devoid  of  useful- 
ness to  myself  or  my  fellow-creatures;  my  course  was  altogether 
idle  and  profitless,  and  pregnant  with  sin  and  folly.  A  life  which 
brought  me  down  to  this  level  here,  and  beneath  the  rudest  and 
most  unrefined  of  God's  creatures.     Can  this  be  so? 

He  tells  me  there  is  no  heaven  for  me,  until  I  earn  it  by  the 
sweat  of  my  brow,  that  is,  with  the  labor  of  mind;  that  not  one 
step  can  I  ascend,  only  by  the  greatest  amount  of  self-denial,  of 
labor,  of  humility,  and  love  to  all  below  me,  and  a  feeling  of 
equality,  and  a  wish  for  instruction,  that  I  may  progress  out  of 
my  ignorance  and  moral  deformity.  0,  can  that  be  so  ?  Am  I 
ignorant,  indeed  ignorant  ? 

He  tells  me,  I  must  begin  as  a  little  child,  and  learn  the  first 
lessons  of  wisdom ;  must  climb  step  by  step,  purifying  and  ex- 
panding my  inner  being,  until  I  shall  attain  to  the  level  of  these 
minds,  which  are  intelligent,  and  improved  by  the  knowledge  of 
this  country.  0,  what  a  dreadful  weary  task  it  must  be !  How 
shall  I  begin  ?  I  never  was  able  to  perform  labor.  It  is  not  such 
hard  labor,  he  says,  that  will  be  required  of  me,  but  of  a  kind  that 
will  act  on  my  spiritual  body,  and  my  spirit  itself.    Now,  he  says, 


THE     UNSEALED   BOOK.  383 

my  spiritual  body  is  unseemly  and  deformed  by  the  imperfections 
of  my  former  (3haracter.  He  says  I  could  not  mingle  with  those 
who  are  soaring  above  me,  who  look  so  light  and  clear  in  the  dis- 
tance. My  body  partakes  of  the  color  of  my  mind,  and  that  is 
very  dark  and  unseemly.  How  very  new  all  this  seems  to  me ! 
And  I  must  begin  to  study,  to  labor,  to  live  and  mingle  with  these 
coarse  people ;  I  must  begin  down  here. 

Yet  they  seom  very  kind,  and  reproach  me  with  pitying  looks; 
they  take  me  by  the  hand,  say  they  will  help  me.  They  tell  me 
my  mind  is  all  a  blank,  and  is  capable  of  having  beautiful  charac- 
ters of  virtue,  and  love,  and  long-suffering,  and  gentle  persuasion, 
and  heavenly  aspirations  written  on  its  tablets.  0  !  they  weep 
for  me  and  pity  me  ;  can  it  be  I  deserve  their  pity  ?  Yes,  their 
sympathizing  tears  seem  so  much  more  welcome  to  me  now  than 
the  deceitful  smiles  of  my  earthly  friends.  Yes,  I  must  cast  aside 
the  stubborn  pride  and  feeling  of  superiority  and  dignity,  so  long 
the  ruling  characteristic  of  my  being.  I  must  humble  myself, 
and  begin  on  my  humble  knees  to  learn  wisdom  as  a  child.  And 
now,  when  I  signify  my  willingness  to  be  taught  by  them,  how 
kindly  they  speak  to  me !  How  could  I  think  them  coarse  ? 
Their  language  is,  to  be  sure,  plain  and  simple,  but  pure  in  tone ; 
their  faces  show  an  intelligence  I  did  not  before  discover.  There 
is  about  them  a  certain  dignity,  an  air  of  self-possession,  of  firm- 
ness in  all  their  movements,  which  seems  to  endow  them  with 
strength,  to  beautify  their  faces,  to  make  their  actions  gentle, 
their  words  soft  and  kind.  0,  I  was  mistaken  in  their  appear- 
ance. IsTow  I  feel  how  superior  they  are  to  me ;  yet  I  do  not 
judge  'em  so  much  by  appearance  as  by  words  and  gestures,  their 
actions,  all  their  movements.  What  is  it  that  makes  these  com- 
mon-looking people  seem  so  harmoniously  blending  with  grace, 
and  look  so  gentle  and  dignified,  even  in  their  coarse  apparel  and 
in  their  rugged-looking  country  ?  There  is  some  mystery  about 
it  I  don  't  understand. 

Now  a  female  speaks  to  me,  and  her  tones  are  soft  and  low. 
She  says  :  '  Brother,  persevere ;  begin  your  labor  with  a  cheerful 
heart ;  give  away  all  the  sins  and  follies  of  your  past  life  by  killing 
the  remembrance  of  them  here  by  good  works ;  and  when  you 
shall  have  become  strong  and  manly  in  your  development  of 
mind,  Avhcn  you  shall  indeed  have  become  a  true  man,  fit  to  take 
your  place  in  the  spheres  of  wisdom  as  an  individual  spirit,  then 


384  THE    UNSEALED    BOOK. 

shall  great  strength  and  power  be  given  you ;  then  shall  bright 
and  shining  attendants  take  you  by  the  hand,  and  with  heavenly 
instruction  cause  your  face  to  shine  with  knowledge,  and  wisdom, 
and  pure  love. 

*  Then  shall  you  be  fit  to  enter  that  celestial  land  called  heaven, 
where  all  is  pure  and  holy,  where  the  very  atmosphere  is  laden 
with  the  whispers  of  love  and  of  joy  from  the  hearts  of  angels, 
who,  ranging  in  their  eternal  course  through  the  illimitable  space 
of  worlds,  are  glorifying  God  in  their  songs  of  joy  and  holiness.' " 

THE  BEGGAE. 

This  evening  a  spirit  said :  — 

"  It  is  needless  for  me  to  give  you  a  history  of  my  earthly  life. 
It  is  one  which  you  are  all,  more  or  less,  familiar  with  in  some  of 
its  phases,  as  you  daily  witness  in  your  streets  those  objects  of 
want  and  misery  called  beggars.  The  position  which  I  occupied 
in  your  world  was  owing  to  the  circumstances  which  surrounded 
me  when  I  entered  it.  Therefore  it  was  no  sin  of  mine,  nor  no 
vicious  course  of  conduct  which  reduced  me  to  the  station  which 
I  occupied.  I  was  simply  born  a  beggar,  and  reached  the  estate 
of  man,  being  a  beggar  still.  Circumstances  had  so  encompassed 
me  that  I  could  never  rise  above  that  one  condition ;  and  I  passed 
from  this  world  into  the  next,  bearing  all  the  characteristics  of  my 
mendicant's  life. 

I  was  not  considered  wicked,  but  merely  ignorant,  and  I  thought 
if  heaven  was  any  pleasanter  place  than  earth,  food  and  clothing 
more  easily  obtained,  and  the  comforts  and  luxuries  of  which  I 
had  heard,  but  not  partaken  of,  were  there  in  abundance,  it  must 
be  a  very  pleasant  exchange.  For  when  I  have  suffered  from  cold 
and  hunger,  and  have  begged  for  a  farthing  to  buy  some  food,  I 
have  often  imagined  that  the  cold  and  dreary  earth  could  be  only 
a  place  of  punishment  for  some ;  and  that  heaven  must  be  the  re- 
ward of  those  who  had  suffered  while  on  earth ;  for  its  goods 
always  seemed  to  me  so  unequally  divided,  that  I  could  not  think 
that  God,  as  a  just  God,  would  permit  part  of  his  creatures'to 
live  in  luxury  and  ease,  and  compel  the  other  part  to  misery  and 
degradation.  I,  in  my  simplicity,  could  not  see  it  was  the  work 
of  man,  and  was  caused  by  the  laws  which  man  had  made ;  he, 
controlling  the  circumstances,  and  even,  in  a  measure,  the  desti- 


THE    UISrSEALED   BOOK.  385 

flies  of  the  race.  The  torments  of  hell  I  conceived  to  apply  to 
those  who  had  turned  the  good  things  which  God  had  given  them 
into  wasteful  and  riotous  excesses ;  who  had  abused  his  rich  gifts 
by  turning  them  into  instruments  to  serve  their  own  sensual  pas- 
sions and  appetites. 

Man  might  be  spiritual  and  pure  for  aught  I  know,  but  the 
most  I  had  ever  received  from  any  of  those  who  pretended  to  be 
law-makers  and  teachers,  was  an  angry  reproof  because  of  my 
poverty  and  want,  and  an  admonition  to  reform,  which  I  would 
gladly  have  followed  had  I  been  furnished  with  the  means  to  do 
it ;  but  I  only  returned  to  wallow  in  the  mire  again. 

The  spirit-life  opened  a  new  field  to  my  astonished  vision. 
When  I  put  on  the  garb  of  immortality,  I  was  a  beggar  no  longer, 
but  kind  spirits  came  near  to  me,  and  greeted  me  as  though  I  had 
been  an  expected  friend.  They  welcomed  me  from  out  of  my 
state  of  bondage  and  ignorance  into  the  world  of  liberty  and 
light.  They  clothed  me  in  clean  and  comely  robes,  and  they  fed 
me  upon  the  bread  of  eternal  life,  which  is  called  ivisdom.  And 
they  gave  me  to  drink  of  the  waters  of  that  stream  which  flows 
through  the  beautiful  city  called  Holy.  And  as  I  quaffed  deep 
draughts  thereof,  I  thirsted  no  more,  save  for  the  unsearchable 
love  of  the  Father.  I  felt  that  I  was  indeed  a  new  being.  My 
childhood  had  known  but  few  joys,  and  my  after-life  none:  then 
you  may  judge  how  bright  and  beautiful  a  place  the  lowest  seat 
in  heaven  would  seem  to  me;  I  mean  by  that,  how  dazzling  aud 
fair  then  seemed  every  thing  which  my  eyes  beheld,  while  I  was 
only  in  the  first  sphere,  or  in  the  infant  school,  so  to  speak  after 
leaving.  0 !  how  greedy  my  ears  drank  in  every  sound  of  wis- 
dom and  knowledge,  and  how  rapidly  my  soul  expanded  as  it. 
beheld  the  opening  glories  of  the  immortal  world.  They  carried^ 
me  from  sphere  to  sphere,  as  my  ignorance  and  grossucss  was  cast 
aside,  and  so  my  heart  received  the  word  of  God. 

Fair  and  lovely  spirits  now  meet  me,  and  take  me  by  the  hand,, 
and  show  mo  the  wonderful  works  of  the  glorious  Creator.  They 
support  and  sustain  my  faltering  steps ;  they  bear  me  up,  and 
breathe  into  my  soul  high  and  holy  thoughts,  and  now  I  feel  that 
God  is  indeed  just  and  wise,  that  he  is  all-powerful  in  his  love 
and  mercy,  and  that  though  man  may  trample  on  and  crusli  his 
fellow-men  on  earth,  or  so  warp  and  control  their  circumstances 
as  to  cause  them  misery  and  suffering,  and  condemn  them  to  ig- 


386  THE    LTTSEALED   BOOK. 

norance;  'tis  only  on  earth  they  can  do  it;  it  extends  no  farther, 
and  whatsoever  ye  shall  do  on  earth  to  your  fellow-man,  be  it 
just  or  unjust,  ye  shall  be  rewarded  accordingly  when  ye  put  ofE 
the  flesh  and  put  on  the  spirit,  for  our  God  is  all  just  and  glori- 
ious,  and  his  laws  endure  forever." 

THE   FOOLISH   MOTHER. 

Through  Mrs.  S.  we  had  this  communication  :  — 

"  How  unhappy  I  am !  I  am  wandering  up  and  down,  hither 
and  thither.  I  know  not  where  to  go.  Friends,  I  will  tell  you 
the  reason  of  my  misery.  I  was  a  mother.  Precious  souls  were 
intrusted  to  my  care,  and  how  did  I  fulfil  my  charge?  I  shud- 
der now  to  think  on  the  example  I  daily  set  them.  I,  their  par- 
ent, who  should  have  instilled  every  gentle  virtue  and  high  pri  n- 
ciple  into  their  tender  hearts,  I  only  filled  their  minds  with  fool- 
ishness and  unprofitable  teachings.  I  brought  them  up  to  love 
external  show  and  empty  glitter.  I  taught  them  to  love  the 
■world  and  the  opinions  of  vain  and  conceited  sons  of  men.  I 
taught  them  to  walk  in  the  paths  of  jileasure,  which  but  filled 
their  young  souls  with  a  desire  for  more  —  more  of  the  useless 
and  unsatisfying  gifts  of  wealth ;  and  instead  of  making  my 
children  useful  to  themselves  and  society,  I  but  filled  their  young 
souls  with  selfishness  and  pride. 

0,  it  is  a  dreadful  confession  for  a  mother  to  make,  but  I  must 
tell  you  the  truth  now,  though  it  should  humiliate  my  soul  into 
the  very  dust. 

I  was  called  away  from  my  children  just  as  they  were  emerging 
into  maturity,  just  when  they  could  have  been  turned  into  a  good 
path,  or  led  aside  into  an  evil  one,  with  no  guide  but  a  thought- 
less father,  alas !  more  prone  to  love  the  world  than  his  wretched 
companion.  And  now,  can  you  imagine  my  unhappiness  ?  No, 
that  is  impossible.  I  have  not  only  seen  my  folly,  my  own  wick- 
edness in  every  thing  that  pertains  to  a  knowledge  of  spiritual 
life,  and  the  soul's  happiness,  but  I  am  drawn  back,  as  it  were,  to 
earth,  to  gaze  on  the  course  of  those  I  have  left  behind.  Heaven 
knows  I  have  loved  them  well,  but  with  a  foolish,  misdirected 
love ;  and  now  I  suffer  the  consequences.  I  am  daily  a  witness 
to  the  effects  of  my  teachings.  I  am  hourly  pained  with  the 
breaking  out  of  those  uncultivated  and  grosser  parts  of  their 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  387 

nature,  which  it  was  my  duty,  as  a  mother,  to  lead  gently  into  the 
right  direction ;  and  I  see  them  hurrying  from  one  folly  into 
another,  and  I  can  do  nought  but  wring  my  hands  in  mute 
despair,  and  wish  I  had  never  lived.  I  cannot  look  upward.  I 
cannot  labor  for  a  better  inheritance,  for  ray  sins  of  omission  to 
my  children  are  constantly  reproaching  me,  and  come  black  as 
night,  and  huge  as  mountains. 

When  witnessing  their  misguiding  steps,  I  feel,  '  Mother,  this 
has  been  thy  doings.  Behold,  now,  the  seeds  planted  in  the  hearts 
of  thy  children  bring  forth  fruit  of  dust  and  ashes ! ' 

Miserable  mother  that  I  am  !  How  wretched  has  been  my  life 
since  entering  the  spirit-world.  I  have  wept  and  prayed  contin- 
ually. I  have  sorrowed  with  a  deep  and  sincere  sorrow  for  my 
past  life,  and  my  children's  future  happiness. 

Not  long  since,  a  spirit  approached  me,  took  me  by  the  hand, 
and  said,  '  Cease  thy  useless  grieving,  weak  mother,  for  thy  chil- 
dren, and  set  about  working  out  thy  own  salvation.  Cast  off  thy 
gross,  material  nature,  and  become  wise  in  wisdom  of  heaven,  that 
you  may  be  able  to  go  back  to  earth,  and  assisted  by  wise  and 
loving  hearts,  and  by  the  strong  influence  of  thy  love,  you  may 
be  able  to  approach  your  children,  if  not  through  your  own  spirit- 
influence,  perchance  through  another's.  If  not  through  one 
channel,  another  may  be  opened,  so  that  you  can  approach  them.' 
0,  this  thought  seems  too  heavenly  for  so  great  a  sinner  as  I. 
I  wish  to  become  pure.  I  wish  to  learn  wisdom  that  I  may  be- 
come a  fit  companion  for  the  bright  ones  above  ;  but  0,  my  chil- 
dren !  my  children  !  While  1  am  learning  wisdom,  will  they  not 
be  irretrievably  lost  ?  through  my  early  teachings  become  hard- 
ened to  good  impulses,  or  sink  so  deep  in  sin  as  to  forget  me,  and 
never  hear  me  on  earth  ?  My  heart  is  bursting  with  its  great 
agony.  I  would  fain  go  up,  but  love  draws  me  down,  so  that  T 
am  a  wretched  wanderer. 

0  God  in  heaven !  thou  Spirit  of  justice,  and  truth,  and  illim- 
itable mercy,  look  down  on  me,  a  poor,  erring  mother,  and  guide 
me  right.  How  little  am  I  acquainted  with  that  name  and  the 
duties  I  owe !  Pity  me,  holy  spirits  around  this  circle,  in  my 
weakness  and  sin.  Entreat  some  loving  spirit  to  protect  my  chil- 
dren while  I  learn  wisdom  and  repentance. 

Heaven  is  a  glorious  place,  they  say,  but  I  have  never  caught 
the  first  glimpse  of  its  brightness.     My  life  has  been  among  the 


388  THE    UNSEALED   BOOK. 

discontented,  unhappy  wanderers,  regretting  the  deeds  done  in 
body,  and  not  having  courage  to  begin  the  task  of  labor.  But  I 
feel  there  is  within  my  soul  a  longing  to  taste  of  the  love  of  God, 
to  mingle  with  the  pure  and  good,  to  leave  these  lower  regions 
where  I  am  so  wretched  and  lonely.  But  oh,  my  children !  my 
children ! 

And  yet  I  can  do  them  no  good  by  staying  here.  My  soul  is 
becoming  worn  down  and  overstrained  in  constant  grasping  to 
save  them  from  ruin.  I  will  go  and  make  myself  as  a  little  child 
again,  that  I  may  learn  to  be  useful ;  and  my  object  will  be,  that 
I  may  be  of  service  to  my  dear  children ;  for  I  feel  that  I  shall 
yet  be  enabled  to  lead  those  precious  children  aside  from  the  paths 
of  sin  and  wretchedness  which  they  are  now  treading,  into  the  pleas- 
ant way  that  leads  to  eternal  life. 

Dear  friends,  the  spirits  who  surround  your  circle  allowed  me 
to  approach  you,  poor,  wretched  wanderer  that  I  am,  to  tell  you 
my  experience,  and  0,  do  you  tell  it  to  the  world,  that  it  may 
warn  some  foolish  mother  to  escape  the  wretchedness  which  I 
have  known  since  my  entrance  here,  who  are  preparing  for  them- 
selves a  heaven  or  a  hell,  in  proportion  to  the  love  they  bear  their 
children.  Tell  them  their  example  and  teachings  will  be  ever 
before  them,  reproaching  or  approving. 

My  tale  is  ended.     Thanks,  and  good-night." 

EXTKACTS   FEOM   COMMUISTICATIONS   GIVE]Sr   BY   JOHN"  C.  CALHOUK, 
LORENZO   DOW,   AND    OTHEES. 

"My  object  in  coming  here,  is  to  me  a  very  great  one,  and,  God 
knows,  I  wish  it  was  so  to  the  world  at  large.  I  wish,  I  desire,  I 
pray  most  fervently,  that  we  might  feel  how  great  the  responsibility 
that  is  resting  on  each  one  who  has  heard  the  revelations  of  life 
and  truth,  to  spread  the  echo,  to  spread  the  circle  of  sound,  of 
thought,  of  energy,  of  ambition  to  excel  in  the  labors  of  the  field 
in  which  they  are  placed,  by  being  partakers  of  this  high  and 
holy  privilege  —  privilege  unfathomable,  untold,  unfelt,  and  un- 
expressed, ever  changing,  ever  beautifying,  and  becoming  more 
lovely,  more  light,  more  holy,  more  serene  in  its  outward  paths. 

My  experience  as  a  spirit  is  very  limited  in  comparison  with 
some  with  whom  you  have  conversed,  and  I  deeply  feel  it  to  be  so, 
to-night. 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  389 

I  deeply  feel  the  barrenness  of  my  soul,  the  lack  of  wisdom,  the 
dread  of  ridicule,  the  loss  of  friends,  the  thought  of  enemies 
which  debarred  me  from  pariicipating,  from  being  experienced, 
from  a  want  of  knowledge  of  this  holy  privilege. 

Why,  my  friends,  while  in  the  form  it  was  not  a  new  thing  to 
me.  0,  no!  it  was  a  great  reality,  which  my  soul  felt  to  be 
true,,  but  dared  not  own.  Have  I  not  felt  the  presence  of  my 
friends  around  me  in  my  seasons  of  despondency  and  doubt  ?  I 
believed  it,  but  dared  not  say  it. 

That '  dared '  —  shall  I  tell  3'ou  what  it  did  to  mo  ?  It  shut  out 
from  my  soul  a  revelation  that  might  have  gladdened  it,  and  com- 
pels me  now  to  unbeam,  when  the  covering  of  clay  was  thrown  off. 

Ask  him,  and  him,  and  him,  if  he  has  not  felt  the  presence  of 
loved  friends  departed  ?  a  mother,  a  child,  a  wife,  was  near  ? 
Yes,  and  the  inmost  heart,  welling  up  from  the  depths  of  the  in- 
most tenderness,  will  answer. 

It  is  the  connecting  link  between  the  spirits  of  your  sphere 
and  ours ;  the  cord  that  draws  the  spirit  back  to  earth  and  ele- 
vates the  thought  back  to  heaven. 

This  may  to  many  seem  a  small,  worthless,  and  even  absurd 
subject.  The  great  and  mighty  of  the  earth  despise  small  things; 
yet  it  is  the  small  things,  the  trifles,  which  draw  out  the  tender- 
est  emotions  of  the  heart.  They  swell  and  overflow.  Have  not 
the  high  and  mighty  those  well-springs  in  their  heart's  ?  Yes, 
every  heart  will  gush  up;  and  through  their  affections  must  the 
mighty  ones  be  reached. 

This  intercourse  is  calculated  to  bring  heaven  and  earth  more 
closely  together,  and  to  make  man  feel  his  resjionsibility  as  man, 
to  lift  him  up  from  his  degradation;  and  when  jou  see  this  fully, 
you  will  not  say  the  spirits'  labor  has  been  in  vain.  When  tiie 
unfolding  light  of  spiritual  communication  shall  reach  the  hearts 
of  the  sons  and  daughters  of  earth,  it  will  come  with  sweet  hu- 
mility, open  their  eyes,  and  show  them  wherein  they  err.  It  will 
set  them  to  thinking;  and  every  heart  thus  set  to  thinking,  will 
feel,  '  Thou  art  the  man.' 

No  one  will  be  overlooked  in  the  crowd,  the  great  spirits  will 
take  cognizance  of  all,  the  high  and  the  low. 

Some  say,  I  '11  believe  Avhen  others  do.  If  so,  you  lose  much 
precious  time  by  tarrying.  Sometimes  the  laggard  is  caught  in 
darkness  ere  he  is  awarel 


390  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

How  very  dim  life  on  earth  seems  to  me  now  !  I  look  upon  it 
as  a  troubled  dream,  wherein  were  indeed  some  bright  spots,  some 
kind  feelings  shed  around  my  path  to  make  it  brighter.  I  was 
but  the  germ  placed  in  a  casket  of  clay,  whose  inner  unfoldings, 
whose  heaven-sent  aspirations,  should  have  begun  to  develop  them- 
selves sooner  while  placed  there. 

Of  every  man  shall  be  required  a  talent.  Let  each  ask,  have  I 
one,  and  will  the  Lord  require  that  talent  of  me  ?  Most  assured- 
ly, my  friends.  Do  not  hide  it  in  the  ground,  but  let  it  shine 
forth  to  warn  your  fellow-men.  It  was  given  to  use:  one  may 
help  another,  and  all  mingle  and  combine  together,  and  make  up 
the  great  sun  which  giveth  life  on  earth. 

Every  created  one  has  some  germ  of  beauty  to  be  expanded. 
All  are  not  unfolded,  because  the  present  state  of  society  forbids 
it.  What  beautiful  spirits  are  hid  below  tlie  superstition,  igno- 
rance, error,  and  poverty  that  surround  you ! 

When  will  man  feel  that  his  fellow-man  requires  a  talent  at  his 
hand  ?     As  ye  do  it  to  these  little  ones,  so  ye  do  it  unto  me. 

You  may  think  that  all  are  not  performing  a  work.  All  can- 
not, through  the  force  of  circumstances.  The  work  which  en- 
ables the  rich  man  to  roll  in  luxury,  causes  the  sweat  to  pour 
from  the  poor  man's  brow.  Is  this  right  ?  Is  your  society  organ- 
ized aright  ?  Were  labor  so  equalized  that  all  might  bear  a  part, 
each  in  his  respective  capacity,  all  might  share  in  the  benefits, 
and  yet  all  be  in  their  proper  places,  not  to  create  confusion,  or  a 
vast  revolution,  or  plan  of  socialism,  but  so  dividing  and  dif- 
fusing, that  the  wants  of  all  should  supply  the  wants  of  all ;  the 
works  of  all  supply  the  works  of  all,  mind  as  well  as  labor.  By 
so  doing  there  would  be  no  necessity  for  the  poor  beggar  to  wan- 
der through  your  streets,  for  the  little  stray  waifs,  the  homeless 
cues,  to  be  cast  on  the  broad  sands  of  iniquity. 

How  the  spirits  grieve  at  the  lowness  of  those  who  are  made  to 
grovel  in  the  dust  by  the  selfishness  and  rapacity  of  their  follows 
in  humanity  !  The  humblest  creature,  however  deformed  or 
warped,  is  capable  of  being  cultivated  in  his  own  sphere,  and  be- 
ing made  useful. 

Friends!  won't  you  work  to  bring  this  about?  Won't  you 
speak  to  those  in  high  places  ?  It  will  begin  as  a  drop  and  flow 
out  and  become  a  stream,  and  grow  broader  in  the  glad  sun- 
light. 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  391 

The  seed  is  not  always  sown  on  fallow  ground.  In  some  places 
it  will  yield  fifty-fold ;  and  if  it  yield  only  one,  will  it  not  satisfy 
you  that  you  are  improving  your  time  ? 

Do  you  not  perceive,  as  you  use  your  talent,  it  will  increase ; 
that  it  confers  more  strength  on  the  owner,  as  well  as  extends  to 
others  the  benefits  which  you  have  so  bountifully  received  ?  " 

"  I  see  this  fire,  kindled  by  love  and  harmony,  which  consti- 
tutes brotherly  love,  will  closely  bind  you  as  with  a  chain  whose 
links  shall  become  more  immovable,  as  the  desires  of  each  shall 
fervently  ascend  to  Heaven  for  strength  to  progress  into  the 
heaven  on  earth  which  you  are  all  expecting  to  realize.  And  to 
attain  this  end,  let  each  and  all  of  you  measure  your  own  heaven 
by  your  own  experience,  extending  your  mind  to  no  greater  than 
that  which  you  are  able  to  grasp.  Be  content  with  the  unfold- 
ing of  the  germ  which  in  due  time  will  become  a  bud,  and  which, 
when  the  bud  is  sufficiently  matured,  will  burst  into  a  fiower. 
But  were  the  flower  to  unfold  before  it  was  sufficiently  strength- 
ened to  receive  the  rays  of  light,  it  would  shrink  back  within 
itself,  and  be  withered  by  the  effulgence  which  it  could  not  bear. 
My  wish  is,  that  every  soul  may  see  its  own  heaven.  0,  do  not 
measure  your  own  experience  by  one  another's,  but  look  within 
your  own  hearts,  and  receive  the  draught  of  happiness  in  what- 
ever measure  it  may  be  meted  out  to  you,  and  be  assured  tliat  you 
receive  as  much  as  you  are  able  to  bear,  though  it  may  seem  to 
come  slowly. 

A  great  work,  to  be  greatly  advanced,  must  be  carried  along 
slowly,  continually,  and  steadily,  yet  with  an  unwavering  faith. 
The  workmen  must  first  lay  a  sure  foundation,  which  must  first 
commence  in  their  own  minds;  and  when  the  foundation  is  sure, 
solid,  and  unshrinking,  then  it  is  time  to  proceed  swiftly  with 
the  rearing  of  tlic  structure,  the  greatness  of  which  will  require 
many  and  all  manner  of  laborers  before  it  shall  attain  its  perfec- 
tion. And  patience,  hope,  trusting,  and  long-suffering,  .will  be 
requisite  for  each  and  all,  while  this  mighty  work  proceeds. 

Be  ye  dwellers  in  the  green  and  shady  valley,  and  listen  to  the 
quiet  murmur  of  the  stream  whose  waters  are  as  a  deep  flow  of 
joy.  Seek  not  to  climb  the  mountain  while  you  are  yet  feeble, 
but  enjoy  the  beauties  within  your  reach,  and  let  the  mountain 
come  to  you.  When  you  have  become  sufficiently  strong,  you 
will  not  be  overcome  by  the  brightness  of  the  light. 


392  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

The  general  teachings  of  the  present  day,  are  of  such  a  conflict- 
ing and  fluctuating  nature,  as  to  create  lather  antagonistic  feel- 
ings, than  sentiments  of  harmony.  One  party  maintains  teachings 
which  are  in  direct  opposition  to  those  of  another,  and  each  ex- 
claims, '  Walk  in  the  path  which  we  are  treading,  for  it  will  surely 
lead  you  to  the  haven  for  which  you  are  seeking ;  our  teacher 
can  explain  all  things  to  your  satisfaction.'  And  still  another, 
and  another  party,  walk  with  like  texts  upon  their  hearts.  And 
shall  these  men  say.  We  follow  the  Bible  ?  I  say,  they  follow  the 
teachings  of  the  different  minds,  which  put  different  construc- 
tions on  the  same  revelations.  Then  what  man  shall  say  (and 
feel  secure),  I  am  right,  and  you  are  wrong  ?  or  who  shall  say,  I 
worship  no  graven  image,  but  the  image  of  the  living  G-od  ? 

My  friends,  this  mingling  of  so  many  rights,  makes  one  great 
wrong  of  society  as  it  now  exists.  The  present  social  structure 
is  inharmoniously  organized,  and  disorderly  arranged ;  for  the 
man  of  might  is  the  man  of  right,  and  that  only  by  the  authority 
which  his  might  gives.  And  the  man  of  honesty,  is  oftentimes 
the  man  of  beggary,  through  the  advantage  which  the  man  of 
selfishness  gains,  making  him  the  stepping-stone  to  the  throne  of 
power,  whereon  mammon  sits  enthroned,  wielding  a  brazen  scep- 
tre which  is  called  gold,  and  before  whose  presence  the  man  of 
need,  and  the  daughters  of  drudgery,  the  hewei's  of  wood,  and  the 
drawers  of  unclean  water  for  unclean  purposes,  are  made  to  bow 
in  humble  submission.  And  who  shall  say  that  wrong  will  make 
right,  until  the  wrong  of  oppression  is  taken  from  the  hands  of 
the  oppressor?  The  strings  which  have  vibrated  in  his  heart,  are 
those  of  avarice  and  ungodly  gain  ;  and  the  might  which  he  exer- 
cises so  unjustly  keeps  the  hearts  of  the  oppressed,  from  catching 
even  a  glimpse  of  the  treasures  which  lie  concealed  within  their 
own  being,  thus  shutting  out  from  them  the  light,  which  it  is  their 
right  to  enjoy  as  sons  and  daughters  of  a  common  Father.  Ah ! 
that  wrong  tramples  upon  a  great  right,  and  its  course  may  be 
traced  to  the  very  depths  of  misery  and  iniquity,  which  are  filled 
by  a  combination  of  wrongs.  And  as  we  gaze  upon  the  vast  picture 
of  dreary  desolation,  and  shudder  at  the  black  and  repulsive  ap- 
pearance of  the  surrounding  world,  we  feel  that  a  great  work  is  to 
be  carried  on,  executed,  and  accomplished.  A  mighty  work  it  is, 
to  stir  up  the  fountains  of  the  human  heart,  that  men  may  become 
alive  to  the  state  of  those  whom  they  call  brothers.   How  much  they 


THE     UNSEALED  BOOK.  393 

make  this  a  term  of  derision ;  and  by  the  very  mention  of  such 
relations,  they  seem  to  disgrace  the  Parent  who  could  so  unwisely 
divide  the  inheritance  of  earth  among  those  who  are  called  his 
children.  Thinking  minds  will  ask  themselves  the  question,  Are 
we  not  robbing  our  brothers  of  their  birthright  ?  and  the  more 
fully  and  evenly  developed  minds,  will  see  the  immediate  cause 
for  action  in  themselves. 

When  the  character  and  responsibilities  of  every  mind  is  placed 
in  this  light,  it  will  be  easy  to  perceive  where  the  path  of  duty 
lies.  And  I  am  persuaded  that  all  who  wish  to  perform  that 
important  part  of  life  called  duty,  will  have  an  amj^le  scope  for 
indulging  their  desire.  There  will  be  no  necessity  for  one  look- 
ing upon  another  and  saying,  What  shall  we  do  to  be  saved? 
but  each  individual  must  take  the  work  into  his  own  hands  to 
save  his  fellow-man  from  the  state  Avhich  has  been  induced  by 
darkness  of  mind  and  oppression  of  soul.  This  is  a  work  in 
which  angels  on  high,  whose  robes  are  pure  and  shining  with 
holy  light,  rejoice  to  be  engaged  in;  and,  mortal  man,  think 
never  that  thou  art  free  from  responsibility  to  heaven,  so  long  as 
the  condition  of  thy  fellow-beings  on  the  earth,  thy  brothers  and 
sisters,  requires  the  talent  which  God  has  given  to  thy  mind,  and 
which  in  time  will  be  required  of  thee  us  being  increased  or  di- 
minished by  the  use  to  which  it  is  devoted. 

0  children  of  earth,  turn  from  your  lofty  structures  erected 
for  the  worship  of  the  Most  Iligh,  and  go  forth  beneath  the  star- 
lit canopy,  to  receive  with  inward  joy  the  echo,  the  spirit-echo, 
which  shall  meet  you  ',  it  shall  embrace  you,  and  fill  you  with 
love,  with  joy,  and  with  peace  unutterable.  0,  the  unsophisticated 
mind  is,  indeed,  capable  of  high  development !  " 

"  Make  unto  thyself  a  world  of  beauty  within  ;  an  inner  life,  a 
holy  of  holies,  a  sacred  place  where  none  may  intrude,  a  spot 
dedicated  in  all  its  beauty  and  glory  as  the  sanctuary  of  the  most 
high  God.  This  is  within  thee,  it  is  a  part  of  thee,  it  is  all 
sparkling  and  shining.  It  needs  but  to  be  pervaded  by  the  holy 
presence,  the  essence  of  soul,  the  life  of  light;  for  behold !  as  the 
dew  vanisheth  from  the  grass  where  it  hath  glittered  as  diamonds 
in  the  morning  sun,  it  passeth  away,  and  ye  behold  it  no  more, 
ye  recognize  it  not  again ;  so  will  all  external  beauties  fade;  so, 
in  time,  shall  they  cease  to  give  thy  heart  joy,  and  tliy  soul  glad- 
ness.   Thou  wilt  look  back  upon  the  past  as  a  man  who  has 


394  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

"walked  in  a  sleep,  struggling  and  striving  with  great  phantoms, 
even  those  of  his  destiny.  And  when  the  light  which  made  thee 
glad  hath  passed  away  into  the  darkness  of  ohlivion,  then  shall 
the  deep,  low  breathing  of  thy  spirit's  immortal  harmony  raise  up 
within  thee  a  light,  a  soft  and  sweet  melody,  which  shall  be  a  joy  to 
thee  forever.  That  is  not  earth  ;  that  f adeth  not  away ;  that  is  endur- 
ing and  immortal,  even  as  the  glory  of  thy  God  is  immortal,  only 
changing  from  one  glory  to  a  greater  and  greater." 

"Are  we  to  suppose  that  the  great  Deity,  in  his  wisdom,  and 
in  contradiction  to  his  natural  laws,  poured  out  his  spirit  in  other 
days  more  abundantly,  and  refined  men's  souls  more  quickly 
than  now  ?  Have  we,  indeed,  cultivated  all  the  revealed  wisdom 
which  has  been  manifested  since  the  beginning  ?  And  does  the 
human  race  become  grosser  and  less  refined,  or  spiritualized,  in  its 
development,  both  physically  and  mentally,  than  it  did  in  former 
years  ?  If  so,  then  would  this  world  present  a  very  different  ap- 
pearance. Instead  of  the  active,  progressive  principle  which  is 
ever  urging  you  onward  and  upward  to  excel  each  other  in  every 
thing,  you  would  be  a  nation  of  sluggards,  content  to  have  your 
worship  measured  out  to  you,  to  be  performed  in  proper  quanti- 
ties, and  then,  like  poor  slaves,  having  performed  your  duties,  you 
would  retire,  feeling  that  this  is  all  that  is  required  of  you  as 
men  and  Christians,  for  the  welfare  of  your  immortal  souls. 

But  the  enlightened  mind  now  turns  with  uneasiness  and  dis- 
gust from  such  senseless  ceremonies.  It  refuses  to  be  led  y  one 
mind  to  a  certain  point,  and  then  to  be  commanded  to  retire, 
saying,  '  Thus  far  shalt  thou  go,  and  no  farther ! '  But  it  will  pen- 
etrate farther ;  it  will  not  rest  in  its  spiritual  darkness,  gaziug 
only  upon  the  things  which  have  become  old,  and  stale,  and  Avear- 
isome,  from  continued  repetition.  It  wants  something  more.  It  is 
becoming  so  refined  in  its  progressive  state  of  activity,  that  it 
reaches  beyond  the  established  rules  which  have  hitherto  been  its 
guide. 

And  with  this  longing,  this  deep  aspiration  after  a  greater 
knowledge  of  the  inner  laws  which  control  the  being  of  man,  be- 
gins an  expansion,  weak  and  fluttering  at  first,  trembling  as 
though  afraid  to  tread  on  forbidden  ground;  and  yet  how  eager 
becomes  the  soul,  as  every  new  glimpse  of  light  flashes  upon  its 
astonished  vision!  And  presently  the  soul  becomes  stronger, 
more  firm  in  its  purpose,  more  bold  in  its  demands ;  the  flicker- 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  395 

ing  views  which  it  has  already  received,  now  propel  it  with  great 
rapidity. 

"  And  the  sky  seems  like  one  broad  arch  of  glory,  whereon  is 
reflected  the  love  of  the  Father  upon  his  children,  and  nought 
seems  dark  and  dreary  but  the  human  soul ;  for  here,  wretched- 
ness, vice,  selfishness,  and  pride  go  hand-in-hand  to  destroy  their 
victims ;  and  here  is  seen  the  folly  of  men's  laws  ! 

Here  may  be  seen  the  great  point  of  man's  development,  when 
giving  strict  and  impartial  justice  to  his  fellow-men  ;  for  here, 
one  who  has  never  gazed  before,  would  think  God  forever  smiled 
on  one  part  of  his  children,  and  condemned  the  other  part  to 
endless  misery  and  wretchedness,  so  different  do  their  paths  and 
pursuits  appear.  What  a  clashing  and  jarring  of  interests  on  one 
side,  and  want  on  the  other !  The  rich  man  desires  to  be  rich 
still;  and  why  should  he  not?  for  it  insures  him  luxury  and 
ease ;  but  the  poor  man  desires  to  be  rich  ;  and  why  should  he 
not?  for  his  life  seems  one  long  day  of  toil,  and  his  moments  of 
rest  are  scarce  sufficient  to  recruit  the  wants  which  will  not  be 
denied,  so  long  as  life  is  sustained ;  and  lie  is  not  in  a  natural 
position  to  follow  out  the  great  end  and  aim  of  his  destiny. 

The  people  being  so  unequally  divided  as  regards  temporal  ad- 
vantages, must  also  continue,  in  like  manner,  unequally  enlight- 
ened in  a  spiritual  direction,  until  there  are  many  vast  changes 
in  the  state  of  society;  and  this  will  not  be  brought  about  until 
the  eyes  of  those  are  opened  widely  to  their  position,  who  enjoy 
time  and  opportunity  to  acquire  new  knowledge.  And  when 
some  great  souls  have  been  waked  up  from  their  long  dream  of  in- 
dolence and  ease  to  a  right  sense  of  their  true  responsibility,  they 
will  be  up  and  doing.  They  will  lay  down  great  princii)lcs;  they 
will  create  a  grand  platform  upon  which  these  principles  of  equal- 
ity and  fraternity  must  be  firmly  established  ;  and  they  will  make 
man  to  see  how  degraded  is  his  position,  as  an  immortal  soul, 
as  an  individual  whose  birth-right  is  as  secure  and  indispensable 
to  his  heaven-born  inheritance  as  that  of  the  reputed  noblest  in 
the  land,  first  in  a  temporal,  and  then  in  a  spiritual  point  of 
view.  For  how  can  his  spirit  ever  mount  beyond  its  little  abode 
here,  while  crushed  by  privation  and  want  ?  The  tcmi>oral  state 
of  mankind  is  their  greatest  barrier  against  their  si)iritual  devel- 
opment, and  let  them  but  be  shown  how  they  may  improve  their 
condition,  or  how  their  lives  may  become  pleasanter  and  better, 


396  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

let  them  be  made  acquainted  with  the  great  laws  of  equality, 
which  should  govern  the  human  family,  and  they  will  join  togeth- 
er, heart  and  hand,  to  advance  the  cause.  They  will  soon  lose 
their  air  and  mein  of  servants,  and  all  will  become  as  brethren, 
standing  on  one  broad  platform,  open  alike  to  the  interests  of  all. 

Then  let  those  who  have  spiritual  gifts  use  them,  when  spirit- 
ual gifts  are  needed,  and  those  who  have  temporal  gifts  apply 
them  also  to  the  lifting  up  of  their  fellow-men,  for,  verily,  every  one 
will  have  to  give  an  account  of  his  talent,  and  every  talent  may 
be  applied  to  a  different  use,  all  varied,  but  still  useful  and  har- 
monious. 

My  friends  not  yet  in  the  light,  in  whose  souls  the  seeds  of 
truth  are  not  yet  quickened  by  the  light  of  love,  by  affliction,  or 
so-called  trial,  may  sneer  at  these  facts,  and  say  that  they  will 
allow  their  spiritual  advisers  to  dictate  their  charity  and  their 
faith,  but  believe  me,  ye  who  listen,  there  is  no  such  compromise 
with  the  angels  whose  unerring  record  tallies  every  act  of  man, 
and  marks  them  in  the  tablet  of  his  own  heart.  The  ceaseless 
tide  of  compensation  flows  on  and  on,  forever,  and  charity  can 
no  more  be  separated  from  justice,  than  the  sun  can  be  torn  by 
the  power  of  man  from  yonder  heavens.  Who,  then,  will  dare  to 
dispense  judgment,  or  who  will  place  the  responsibility  of  so- 
called  crimes.  Not  thou,  0  man  !  whose  standard  is  the  narrow 
platform  of  sectarianism,  whose  life  is  measured  by  tlae  shortest 
span,  and  whose  happiest  hour  is  when  some  necessity  of  the 
great  brotherhood  of  humanity  enables  thee  to  place  thy  stock 
and  trade  beyond  the  reach  of  him  who  toils  for  his  daily  bread, 
and  whose  shivering  offspring  is  denied  only  that  which  fashion- 
ably dressed  charity  regards  as  popular.  0  ye  who  would  enter 
the  silvery  gateway,  and  listen  to  the  sweet  songs  of  an  approving 
conscience,  know  that  ye  can  entertain  angels,  and  that  within 
the  gardens  of  your  souls  will  spring  up  bright  and  beautiful 
flowers,  which  will  shade  thy  pathway  to  the  temples  of  the  liv- 
ing God  within.  Be  not  strangers  to  yourselves  ;  listen  to  those 
intuitions  which  speak  unmistakably  to  thy  sjDiritnal  being ;  let 
ths7n  be  first  in  the  market-place  and  at  the  fireside,  for  ye  will 
find  them  bringing  you  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  kingdom,  which 
first  sought  and  made  to  dwell  within  you,  all  other  things  shall 
be  added  thereto. 

The  heavens  are  unfolding  as  a  scroll  of  light,  and  the  day  of 


THE   UNSEAX,ED   BOOK.  397 

new  things  is  dawning  upon  the  children  of  men,  and  they  shall 
know,  because  God  hath  willed  it  so,  and  sent  his  holy  spirits  to 
tell  them  that  they  are  free,  because  truth  is  free,  and  light  is 
free.  And  God  hath  said,  '  Let  there  be  light,'  and  lo,  it  cometh 
so  soon  as  men  can  bear  it.  Therefore  prepare  yourselves  to  re- 
ceive it. 

The  following,  from  a  letter  which  I  received  some  time  smce, 
will  be  found  to  contain  the  impress  of  thoughts  upon  topics 
little  treated  of  in  this  work,  notwithstanding  their  great  impor- 
tance. I  give  it  simply  as  an  individual  opinion,  my  own  mind 
never  having  been  exercised  in  that  direction.  Whether  my 
spirit-guides  will  proffer  any  remarks  upon,  or  suggestions  in 
connection  w;th  the  subject-matter  contained  therein,  will  doubt- 
less be  made  manifest,  after  the  extract  has  been  penned, 

"  Howsoever  much  you  may  be  tried  in  regard  to  your  belief,  I 
know  you  will  not  swerve  one  iota  from  what  you  believe  to  be 
right  and  just.  Do  not  allow  present  adverse  circumstances  to 
weigh  on  your  mind,  for  although  we  may  be  called  upon,  at 
times,  to  sacrifice  the  physical,  to  obtain  the  spiritual,  I  believe 
it  to  be  an  abnormal  rather  than  a  natural  state,  caused  by  artifi- 
cial surroundings,  and  by  the  coarse  requirements  of  a  material 
and  physical  existence.  The  true  life,  if  we  could  only  be  per- 
mitted to  live  one,  would  not  call  for  any  physical  sacrifice,  for 
the  physical  would  then  be  in  harmony  with  the  spiritual.  I 
merely  state  the  foregoing,  without  wishing  to  elaborate,  as  I 
wish  to  get  at  Mr.  Fowler,  as  you  have  been  brought  in  contact 
with  him.  I  suppose  you  will  see  something  more  than  a  coinci- 
dence in  events  as  transpired,  and  perliaps  there  is,  but  you  must 
know,  that  I  do  not  possess  your  faith.  My  experience  has  not 
been  such  as  to  inculcate  faith  in  my  nature,  that  is,  faith  wherein 
the  reason  cannot  go. 

But  to  Mr.  Fowler :  He  is  a  thorough,  scientific  scholar,  and 
anything  he  may  have  said,  or  has  written,  is  entitled  to  serious 
consideration.  Yet  I  must  be  allowed  to  say  that,  judging  from 
his  writings,  he  reasons  from  a  ])urcly  scientific  and  material 
standpoint.  This,  from  any  one  in  his  line,  is  all  we  ought  to 
expect.  He  does  not  seem  to  have  much  of  the  spiritual  in  his 
nature;  but  as  I  judge  wholly  from  his  writings,  I  may  be  in  cr- 


398  THE    UNSEALED  BOOK. 

ror.  His  book  on  Sexual  Science,  or  the  Science  of  Life,  is  an 
invaluable  work,  but,  like  all  the  productions  of  man,  is  open  to 
criticism.  He  tells  us  that  '  a  man  or  woman,  married  to  one,  be- 
tween whom  no  love  exist,  is  simply  adultery ;'  and,  if  either  loves 
another,  he  calls  it  '  double  adultery.'  This  no  one  can  deny ; 
but  when,  in  another  place,  he  tells  us,  in  very  vulgar  terms,  that 
every  ivoman  has  her  price, —  of  course  he  means  through  love  —  I 
feel  as  if  I  should  like  to  take  him  to  task.  In  connection  with 
the  above,  he  tells  us,  that  (he  quotes  some  one  else  and  adopts 

it)  any  woman  in  love,  can  be in  forty-eight  hours.     This 

does  not  detract  from  him  credit  on  the  other  portions  of  his 
work,  yet,  in  my  estimation,  it  does  lower  him  as  a  man.  While 
it  may  be  true  as  regards  a  great  majority  of  women,  he  has  no 
right  to  make  so  sweeping  an  assertion.  He  may  be  a  phrenolog- 
ical scholar ;  he  may  be  benevolent  and  have  many  noble  virtues ; 
yet  the  ideal  has  no  existence  in  his  nature.  Perhaps  he  would 
tell  us  that  idealty  has  no  place  or  existence  in  science ;  but  then 
we  know  that  science  cannot  measure  the  human  heart,  nor  can 
it  measure  the  height  or  depth  of  a  single  soul  in  existence. 
Perhaps,  after  all,  I  have  not  been  just,  or  charitable  enough  with 
him ;  but  he  might,  at  least,  have  put  it  in  a  less  repulsive  manner. 
In  regard  to  the  past,  present,  and  future,  as  regards  marriage, 
polygamy,  etc.,  monogamy  is  superior  to  polygamy;  the  former 
removed  some  of  the  evils  of  the  latter,  but  not  all.  The  future 
must,  and  will  do  its  worh,  just  as  sure  as  life  continues.  Love 
will  accomplish  the  unfinished  work  —  love  free  and  unfettered 
by  idle  forms  and  ceremonies.  We  speak  of  man  and  woman  as 
two  distinct  and  separate  species,  yet  it  takes  the  two  to  form  a 
dual  one;  neither  ts  without  the  other;  it  takes  two  to  make  a 
perfect  one.  Do  you  comprehend  and  sense  what  I  mean  ?  What, 
then,  makes  the  union  ?  is  it  a  form  or  particular  ordinance  ? 
How  ridiculous !  If  one  loves  the  other,  and  that  love  is  recipro- 
cated, there  is  a  marriage,  and  the  union  is  complete ;  love,  and 
love  only,  can  make  a  union.  But  we  may  love  one  for  a  time, 
and  then  one  may  outgrow  the  other  and  demand  an  higher 
union.  This  is  perfectly  logical.  What,  then,  can  be  done  ?  I 
speak  here  not  confining  time  or  marriage  to  earth-life,  for  we 
love  in  the  life  to  come  as  we  do  here.  Love  alone  must  be  the 
judge;  but  some  may  object  on  the  plea  that  many  would  inter- 
pret licentiousness  as  being  love.     True,  but  we  cannot  expect  to 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  399 

flee  from  all  evil  at  one  step.  At  the  worst  it  could  be  no  worse 
than  the  present  false  system.  We  cannot  expect  to  live  a  per- 
fect life  here ;  we  could  not  even  if  left  to  ourselves,  and  then  we 
have  the  world  around  us. 

Mr.  Fowler,  in  all  probability,  meant,  when  he  said  the  future 
was  neither  polygamy  nor  monogamy,  promiscuity,  as  advocated 
by  Moses  Hull  and  his  school.  This  has  been  derided,  even  by 
free  lovers ;  yet  there  is  some  truth  in  it,  and  it  possesses  many 
virtues;  but  I  do  not  regard  it  as  a  permanent  condition  ;  it  can 
only  be  a  stepping-stone  to  a  higher  sphere.  It  may  be  a  neces- 
sity for  many  to  pass  through  it ;  the  fact  is,  we  cannot  lay  down 
any  law  or  system  of  laws  that  will  be  applicable  to  all ;  the  best 
we  can  do  is  to  be  true  to  ourselves  and  our  own  natures.  I  speak 
now  in  a  wide  sense ;  I  care  not  how  far  you  may  carry  the  appli- 
cation practically,  in  any  form  you  choose ;  it  will  hold  good  all 
the  way.  I  know  you  will  excuse  me  for  speaking  plainly,  for  we 
cannot  be  understood  unless  Ave  do  so.  Then  to  proceed :  If  Mr, 
IIull  or  any  of  his  belief  think  themselves  justified  in  living  A^ith 
one  woman,  and  living  on  very  intimate  terms  with  another,  I  Loid 
that  they  are  justified ;  for  if  this  system  were  to  be  abused  it 
would  only  be  temporarily ;  the  evil  would  be  overcome  by  pro- 
gression, and  the  participants  would  emerge  as  from  a  retining 
furnace.  The  vicious  would  mingle,  sexually,  only  with  the 
vicious,  the  refined  with  the  refined,  etc.,  through  all  creation; 
for  all  creation  is  ruled  by  law  as  unerring  as  a  law  in  mathe- 
matics, and  that  law  is — God.  Every  feeling  of  our  nature, 
every  desire,  every  aspiration  was  planted  in  us  by  Ilim  ;  and  if 
these  arc  not  satisfied  it  is  proof  conclusive  that  we  are  violating 
Ilis  law.  This,  also,  holds  good  Avhercver  you  may  carry  it.  "We 
may  not  all  be  enabled  to  do  what  is  right,  but  that  does  not  in- 
validate the  right.  Take  thousands  of  men  and  women  in  exis- 
tence, some  married  and  some  not,  all  are  alike  governed  by 
certain  unerring,  sexual  laws,  some  to  a  greater  or  lesser  extent,  it 
is  true,  yet  all  under  the  law.  Take  the  unmarried  first ;  here  is 
a  number  of  men  and  women  controlled  by  a  law  created  by  God 
that  attracts  one  to  the  other,  who  are  prevented  by  one  thing 
or  another  bevond  their  control  from  followimr  out  a  God-?iven 
law.  Would  such  be  right  in  thrusting  aside  all  obstacles  in  their 
path,  that  have  been  created  by  society,  and  fulfilling  the  behests 
of  nature?      Fowler  holds  that  they  would,  and  many  others 


400  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

skilled  in  medical  science  as  well  as  physiology,  hold  and  teach 
the  same  doctrine.  Of  course  they  tell  us  that  all  should  be 
under  intellectual  control.  But  if  such  a  doctrine  is  right  for 
any,  it  is  right  for  all ;  if  it  is  not  right  for  all  it  is  right  for 
none. 

If  my  views  are  wrong,  I  shall  see  it  in  the  future ;  you,  per- 
haps, can  correct  me,  for  a  woman's  perceptions  on  such  subjects 
are  more  likely  to  be  right  than  a  man's. 

As  regards  what  you  are  pleased  to  call  my  '  work  : '  As 
things  are  now,  I  can  do  nothing  in  that  line  but  keep  a  grim 
silence.  I  should  like,  some  time,  to  finish  a  work  I  have  on  my 
mind.  If  I  had  the  ability  to  do  it  justice,  it  would  take  its  place 
as  a  standard  work  in  literature.  I  would  first  trace  down  the 
religious  wars  of  history  from  the  earliest  time,  but  more  es- 
pecially from  the  ascension  of  Constantino  to  the  Eoman  throne, 
and  to  show  the  misery  and  desolation  entailed  on  the  human  race 
by  the  same.  To  show  up  the  several  saviours  the  vv^orld  has  known, 
and  compare  their  teachings,  showing  that  each  was  the  natural 
outgrowth  of  the  other,  from  the  cradle  of  our  race  :  to  show  up 
the  true  position  of  Jesus  Christ  and  his  teachings,  and  that  he 
was  but  an  advance  pioneer  of  those  who  immediately  preceded 
him;  to  look  into  the  new  systems  of  government,  social  and 
political,  and  examine  the  true  government  for  the  future,  to  wit, 
the  commune,  or  harmonial  republic.  Such  a  work  would  require 
years  of  close  application  to  study  and  research.  But  I  must 
close  my  too  long  letter.  If  Mr.  F.  said  anything  that  you  can 
draw  any  inferences  from,  please  let  me  know ;  also  if  there  is  any- 
thing said  in  your  communications  through  Mrs.  E that  would 

interest  or  instruct  me.  Do  the  best  you  can,  enjoy  yourself, 
and  do  not  let  your  mind  be  troubled.  You  have  trusted  so  implic- 
itly to  your  guides,  that  it  seems  as  if  all  things  must  be  for  the 
best ;  should  think  you  would  bring  them  down  to  the  practical 
affairs  of  life  as  well  as  the  spiritual  and  literary." 

There  is  indeed  much  we  would  gladly  give  in  connection  with 
the  foregoing-  ea,  so  much  that  the  few  suggestions  to  which 
we  must  necessarily  restrict  ourselves  seem  as  nought  in  compar- 
ison with  the  volumes  of  mystery  yet  to  be  unveiled  to  the  sons 
of  earth  through  the  instrumentality  of,  or  by  the  co-operation 
of  the  "  just  made  perfect,"  who  are  continually  striving  with 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  401 

humanity,  even  as  the  angel  of  the  Lord  wrestled  with  Jacob. 
0  that,  like  him,  they  would  cry  out  and  say,  ''We  will  not  let 
thee  go  except  thou  bless  us,"  for  then  would  the  spirit  of  the 
Lord  be  poured  upon  all  flesh,  their  name  should  no  more  be 
coupled  with  ignorance,  and  confined  within  the  narrow  limits  of 
arbitrary  conventional  rules.  But  our  words  must  be  few ;  for, 
as  before  stated,  we  have  already  superseded  all  bounds  as  re- 
gards quantity,  yet  at  the  same  time  we  are  aware  that  many 
highly  important  subjects  and  interesting  stages  of  developme*it 
have  been  treated  in  a  desultory  and  perhaps  unsatisfactory  man- 
ner. This  could  not  be  avoided  where  so  wide  a  range  of  progres- 
sive and  practical  thoughts  and  ideas  were  endeavoring  to  force 
their  way  through  the  narrow  channel  of  communication  opened 
up  to  them. 

In  the  present  instance  we  can  scarcely  refrain  from  giving 
place  to  a  few  remarks,  if  only  to  encourage  our  brother,  whose 
honesty  of  purpose  and  sincerity  of  heart  seem  stamped  upon 
every  line  of  his  writings. 

Most  truly  be  it  said,  that  inharmonious  marriage  is  one  of  the 
greatest  of  social  evils,  and  has  from  the  beginning  of  time  en- 
tailed upon  the  human  family  more  misery  and  suffering,  both 
physical  and  mental,  than  all  other  misdevelopments  combmed. 

There  are  "  no  sweets  like  those  of  spiritual  or  congenial  mar- 
riage ;  no  bitterness  so  bitter  as  false  unions,  such  as  are  often 
recklessly  formed  on  earth ;  they  are  not  unions,  but  rather  an- 
imal connections.  Heavenly  marriage,  the  union  of  congenial 
spirits,  results  in  certain  and  unalloyed  bliss.  This  is  the  state 
in  which  the  individuality  of  each  is  swallowed  up  in  the  other, 
and  the  two  are  made  one,  a  unit  in  thought,  feeling,  sentiment, 
and  aspiration.  Their  children  are  what  nature  designed  children 
to  be,  perfect  models,  and  trained  from  infancy  in  morality  and 
intellect.  They  are  perfect  types  of  what  man  should  be,  to  go 
rapidly  on  to  perfection. 

The  virtuous  man  and  woman  have  peculiar  sympathies  which 
they  cannot  express.  They  have  strong  desires  for  congenial 
companionship.  The  mind  images  to  itself  the  felicity  of  a  union 
with  another  appreciating  mind.  It  meets  its  object,  and  then 
knows  that  no  mind  is  perfect  without  its  mate.  As  the  brain  is 
constituted  of  two  hemispheres,  so  it  takes  two  minds  to  perfect 
one.    God  has  planted  these  desires  in  the  human  soul,  and,  un- 


402  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

der  proper  regulations,  the  soul  must  act  true  to  its  promptings. 
Thus  it  recognizes  its  mate,  and  has  a  foretaste  of  the  joys  a 
union  will  produce.  Now  let  it  be  turned  off  with  a  cold,  antag- 
onistical  companion,  and  it  is  crushed.  The  peace  of  the  family 
circle  is  broken  by  discord ;  the  lower  passions  of  the  offspring 
are  continually  influenced  by  their  sympathy  with  the  parents. 
The  more  spiritual  the  mind,  the  more  discrimination  it  possesses 
in  the  recognition  of  its  true  mate;  and  the  more  debased,  the 
less  discernment  it  possesses. 

If  you  would  exalt  your  children  through  life  and  through 
eternity,  make  the  family  circle  harmonious  and  pure ;  make  it  a 
primary  school  and  college  in  which  may  be  learned  lessons  of 
wisdom  and  virtue. 

Men  are  not  free.  Some  are  slaves  to  their  passions,  some  to 
their  creeds,  some  to  their  superstitions  and  prejudices.  He  who 
dares  to  stand  up  nobly,  defending  his  manhood  and  acting  true 
to  his  convictions,  is  but  one  in  millions. 

Every  man  and  woman  should  consider  themselves  individual 
sovereigns,  to  think  and  to  act  as  best  pleases  themselves,  if  they 
do  not  infringe  on  the  rights  of  others.  There  should  be  no  con- 
formity except  to  Natui'c.  The  thoughts  of  yesterday,  if  they 
cannot  bear  the  light  of  to-day,  should  be  cast  aside. 

True,  there  are  those,  now  and  then,  whom  nothing  can  cor- 
rupt, so  elevated  in  their  sublime  spirituality  that  they  can  walk 
through  the  depth  of  depravity,  unscathed ;  but  such  are  excep- 
tions. The  great  multitude  are  all  subject  to  surrounding 
circumstances.  Exercise  your  charity  then,  in  changing  the 
condition  of  the  miserable,  and  elevating  the  wretched. 

To  this  end,  unite  with  a  congenial  mind.  You  say  all  strive 
to  do  so.  Yes,  but  they  only  strive  with  their  animal  instincts, 
not  with  the  attractions  of  the  spirit.  There  are  numerous  posi- 
tive attractions  in  the  essence  of  the  soul,  which,  if  followed,  will 
find  their  proper  negatives.  You  should  rise  above  all  conven- 
tional regulations,  and  follow  the  dictates  of  reason  and  wisdom, 
and  become  passive  to  their  impressions.  The  spirit  desires  to 
find  its  mate.  If  it  fails,  it  is  like  the  turtle-dove;  it  mourns, 
night  and  day,  over  hill  and  dale,  to  find  the  counterjiart  of  its 
being.     The  ceremony  is  nothing  ;  the  heakt  is  all. 

Many  are  going  to  the  banquet  of  woe  with  garlands  of  roses 


THE    UNSEALED    BOOK.  403 

on  their  brows,  all  unsuspicious  of  the  sufferings  they  are  to  en- 
dure.    And  is  there  no  remedy  ? 

Yes,  a  remedy  is  near.  They  must  be  instructed.  Laws  are 
seldom  violated  wilfully,  but  almost  always  through  ignorance. 
They  must  be  made  to  see  the  right,  and  to  recognize  the  grand 
difference  between  animal  instinct  and  angelic  love.  Where  the 
spirit  leads,  go.  Magnets  have  not  surer  attractions  than  affini- 
ties of  soul." 

We  would  say  to  thee,  brother,  Go  forth  in  the  strength  of  thy 
manhood,  and  boldly  teach  these  lofty  doctrines  as  transmitted 
to  thee  from  the  life-spheres  above.  Free  love,  as  now  under- 
stood, or  rather  misunderstood,  is  not  practicable  for  the  age,  and 
its  tendency,  until  mankind  become  more  pure,  would  be  perni- 
cious. "  Free  love  is  for  man  only  when  he  becomes  an  angeh 
But  teach  how  mutual  attractions  may  be  recognized  and  pre- 
served. Teach  the  world  that  marriage  is  above  animal  instinct; 
an  eternal  relation  of  the  souls  of  two  immortals;  that  death 
changes  not  the  relations  that  congenial  minds  hold  to  each  other, 
rather  strengthening  the  ties  of  affection ;  teach  how  the  soul 
may  be  read  beneath  its  exterior  garment,  and  how  all  its  interior 
promptings  and  desires  may  be  determined. 

Go  down  in  the  sunbeams  of  morning's  light,  and  write  for 
the  world.  What  you  write  will  be  read  and  criticised  to-day, 
and  the  present  generation  will  profit  very  little  by  it.  But  the 
young  and  expanding  minds  Avill  reflect  on  these  things,  and  in 
ages  to  come  they  shall  tell,  and  become  a  greater  monument 
than  you  now  hope  to  rear.  Your  name  shall  be  given  to  the 
truths  you  teach,  which,  combined,  will  ultimate  in  an  institu- 
tion, and  you  will  speak  through  the  centuries.  We  all  have  ap- 
propriate spheres  to  fill;  this  is  yours;  and  the  infinite  God 
speaks  to  you — go.  Perform  the  task  assigned  you  on  earth, 
that  it  may  not  check  your  progress  here.  Do  right,  act  Justly, 
love  your  race.  Then  will  you  softly  close  your  eyes  in  sleep 
when  age  has  settled  on  your  earthly  form.  No  shadow  will 
darken  your  soul ;  but  peacefully  will  the  internal  unfold  itself, 
and  you  will  awake  in  heaven,  an  angel  of  light." 

Our  next  may  properly  be  styled  "gleanings,"  as  it  consists  of 
scraps  culled  from  the  various  letters  of  a  friend.     These,  though 


404  THE   ITNSEALED   BOOK. 

bearing  different  dates,  all  come  within  the  purview  of  our  regret- 
ted "  New  Departure." 

"DearE : 

" said  I  must  write  you  a  word,  as  you  would  be 

looking  for  a  letter  to-day  or  to-morrow.  I  told  her  I  hardly 
felt  that  anything  I  could  say  would  be  of  much  interest  to  you, 
as  it  would  have  to  be  composed  mainly  of  earthly  things.  We 
are  all  very  happy ;  only  one  thing  worries  me  somewhat :  in  your 
New  Departure,  or  new  life,  it  is  hard  to  make  you  seem  like  the 
dear  E.  of  old.  Perhaps  this  is  only  my  idea ;  to  all  of  tl^e  rest 
you  may  seem  the  same,  only  drifted  away  from  me.  I  am  afraid 
the  coming  years  in  your  new  way  will  not  bring  increased  hap- 
piness to  you  ;  it  seems  to  me  the  intense  strain  upon  your  mental 
powers  will  sooner  break  down  your  body,  than  the  quiet,  happy 
life  you  have  known  in  the  years  that  are  gone.  I  say  this  in 
sorrow,  not  in  anger  or  reproach,  and  surely,  not  that  I  think 
anything  which  I  say  will  change  your  course,  as  I  do  not  ever 
expect  to  try  to  turn  you  from  the  path  you.  have  chosen.  But  I 
think  if  you  would  look  backward,  you  would  see  in  the  years 
that  have  gone  in  the  old  way,  calm  happy  hours,  which,  if  they 
were  not  lived  in  so  intense  an  atmosphere,  will  yet  live  in  your 
memory  as  the  pleasant  spots  in  life.  If  anything  I  have  said 
hurts  you,  am  sorry ;  if  it  does  you  good,  shall  be  glad  of  it. 
That  kind  angels  will  watch  over  you  always,  is  the  wish  of ." 

"  The  memorial  service  for  Mr. was  wondrously  beautiful. 

One  item  of  it  might  perhaps  comfort  you  if  you  needed  it.    He 

(the  speaker)  said,  Mr. told  him  a  day  or  two  before  he  died, 

tliat  he  had  prayed  that  he  might  have  some  token  that  his  faith 
and  hope  were  sure ;  and  that  in  the  stillness  of  the  night,  he  saw 
the  Ruby  Gates  opened,  and  looked  in  upon  the  golden  streets, 
and  saw  the  New  Jerusalem.  And  again,  at  his  bedside  appeared 
a  form  like  unto  the  Son  of  God,  and  kindly  beckoned  him  home ; 
and  then  't  was  given  him  to  know,  that  but  a  few  hours  would 
pass  before  he  would  be  at  rest  in  the  bosom  of  his  Father." 

"  It  seems  a  long,  long  time,  since  you  went  away.  Have  you 
had  a  good  time  ?  I  think  you  said  you  were  among  people  who 
understood  you.  I  give  them  credit  for  being  good,  bright  people 
if  they  can  do  it,  for  I  can't,  and  I  have  thought  I  knew  some- 
thing about  you;    but  since  your  literary  career  commenced,  I 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  405 

give  it  np.  Have  been  expecting  to  see,  in  some  paper,  '  Among 
the  Pines.'  Arc  you  writing  yet?  does  the  gentle  muse  still  lin- 
ger in  your  heart?  Well,  I  won't  abuse  you  any  more  this  time; 
hope  that  you  are  well,  and  truly  happy,  and  that  you  may  be 
tenderly  cared  for  always." 

"  We  have  read  your  book  and  sent  it  down  to .    You  know, 

or  can  imagine,  that  it  has  not  been  popular  in  L .     There 

has  been  a  great  deal  of  talk  about  it,  and  people  are  continually 
asking  if  you  are  coming  back.  I  do  not  think  the  New  Depar- 
ture has  added  to  any  one's  pleasure,  unless  it  is  yours;  but  will 
not  scold  you.  We  are  all  drifting  swiftly  towards  the  letter 
Countr}^  May  bright  flowers  ever  bloom  in  your  pathway,  and 
may  God  kindly  care  for  you  ever,  is  the  good-night  wish  of 

Youii  Friend." 

Thiuk'st  thou,  my  friend,  that  earthly  things  no  longer 
Charm  mine  eyes  —  no  joy  unto  my  soul  impart  ? 
That  I  could  cast  aside  the  cherished  friends 
Who  have  to  me  been  always  kind  and  true  ? 
Nay,  friend,  angelic  ones  teach  otherwise  : 
Earth's  useless  dross  may  be  consumed ;  the  gold 
Comes  forth  resplendent  from  the  seething  flames. 
And  so  with  us  :  each  trial  sore,  rightly 
Applied,  refines  and  purifies  the  heart. 
All  wrong  desires  we  hope  and  pray  may  die, 
But  shall  our  holy  friendships  ?     Nay,  not  these  ; 
They  may,  perchance,  within  this  world  of  strife 
Put  forth  "nothing  but  leaves  ;"  yet,  in  that  clime 
Genial  and  fair,  they'll  yield  immortal  blooms. 
Again,  methinks  thou  dost  most  blindly  err 
In  seeking  present  joys  so  entirely 
From  past  experience.     Believe  me,  friend, 
The  memory  of  those  calm,  happy  hours 
Will  live  ;  no  change  of  time  can  them  efface. 
Yet,  is  there  not  in  store  for  all,  brighter 
Joys  ahead?     Yea,  brighter,  purer,  rarer, 
Less  mixed  with  earth's  corrodiuij  cares  and  woes. 
Then  forward,  heavenward,  turn  thy  course  —  let  not 


406  THE    UNSEALED   BOOK. 

The  past  regretted  be,  except  the  ills 

And  errors  blind.     Thus  shalt  thou  for  thyself 

A  glorious  future  help  prepare  ;  angels, 

Thine  own  dear  guardian  ones,  will  smile  on  thee. 

And  aid  thee  to  safe  anchor  cast — at  Home. 

What  have  we  here,  so  "  wondrously  beautiful," 

Which  casts  o'er  thee  a  hallowed  spell,  lingers 

So  tenderly  within  the  precincts  of 

Thine  own  spirit's  abode,  until  it  has, 

Through  thee,  unconscious  friend,  its  heaven-appointed 

IVIission  inscribed?     Yea,  indelibly,  too. 

Upon  the  pages  of  eternity. 

Thou  had'st  no  thought  of  tracing  in  lettered 

Words  this  beautiful  vision,  bright  and  fair. 

No  more  had  I,  but  angels  willed  it  so. 

Yea,  much  more  than  this  did  they  also  vouchsafe, 

For  thi'ough  a  stranger  unto  me  did  come 

A  message  from  the  heavenly  spheres,  even 

From  the  abode  of  Him,  thine  honored  friend, 

Who  saw  the  ruby  gates  unfold,  the  golden 

Streets  beheld.     Believest  thou  this,  my  friend? 

'T^s  true.     AVouldst  thou  learn  when  and  how,  through 

whom? 
I'll  tell  thee,  for  it  did  me  much  surprise, 
So  unexpectedly  it  came  ;  I  scarce 
Myself  could  it  believe  and  realize 
At  the  time. 


The  day  following  the  receipt  of  your  letter,  I  was  engaged  in 
copying  mauuscript,  when  a  neighbor  of  the  friends  I  was  stop- 
ing  with  called  at  the  house :  a  lad,  I  think,  fifteen  or  sixteen 
years  of  age.  He  had  not  been  aware,  until  a  short  time  previous 
to  that,  that  he  possessed  mediumistic  powers,  so  of  course  was 
undeveloped  in  that  capacity,  the  leading  phase  of  which  was 
trance.  He  had  several  times  become  unconscious,  spirits  giving 
messages  through  him.  As  we  sat  there  he  was  controlled,  but  could 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  407 

not  at  first  speak ;  he  held  up  one  hand  and  made  as  if  writing 
upon  it  with  the  other,  pointing  to  me  and  gesticuhiting,  as  if 
there  was  something  he  wished  to  convey  or  make  me  compre- 
hend. I  supposed,  of  course,  it  must  be  something  in  connection 
with  my  writings,  and  remarked  to  that  effect.  He  shook  his 
head,  and  at  the  same  time  became  possessed  of  the  power  of 
speech,  though  talking  rather  incoherently,  as  the  first  control 
was  an  Indian  spirit.  He  gave  me  to  understand,  however,  that 
it  was  to  the  contents  of  your  letter  he  wished  to  direct  my  atten- 
tion. As  if  to  convince  me  of  the  truth  of  this,  he  gave,  without 
a  Avord  from  me,  the  name  of  the  deceased  therein  written ;  then 
followed  a  recital  of  the  vision,  given  correctly  and  understandingly, 
though  in  broken  accents,  at  the  close  of  which  the  spirit  said : 
"0,  him  so  Jiapjjy — have  no  pain  now.    He  no  wants  to  come  hach.^' 

The  Indian  spirit  then  said  there  was  some  one  j^resent  who 
wanted  to  talk  with  me,  and  gave  his  name.  It  was  that  of  a 
highly  esteemed  citizen  of  our  town,  who  had  been  in  spirit-life 
but  a  few  years.  He  controlled  the  medium,  and  not  only  con- 
firmed what  had  been  said,  but  gave  some  further  information 
regarding  his  spirit-life,  also  much  pertaining  to  the  earth-life, 
both  of  himself  and  of  his  deceased  (so-called)  friend;  proving, 
beyond  the  shadow  of  a  doubt,  his  identity.  He  expressed  sin- 
cere regret  that  his  family,  especially  his  wife,  had  no  knowledge 
of,  or  belief  in,  this  beautiful  spirit-communion. 

The  conditions  were  not  favorable  for  a  long  interview.  As  I 
have  stated,  the  medium  was  an  entire  stranger  to  me.  He  knew 
nothing  of  our  place  or  people,  or  that  a  letter  had  been  received ; 
nor  was  he  conscious  of  a  word  that  was  said  through  him.  I 
know  not  what  will  be  your  opinion  of  the  communication ;  but 
for  myself,  I  am  as  confident  that  it  came  from  the  spirit-land, 
and  from  the  party  designated,  as  I  am  that  your  letter  came  from 
L ,  and  was  penned  by  your  own  hand. 

It  does  seem  a  long  time  since  I  left  my  native  land.  Shall  I 
ever  return  thereto?  God  aiid  his  angels  may  know,  but  such 
knowledge  is  not  for  me ;  no,  not  yet.  Have  I  had  a  good  time  ? 
My  times  have  been  in  thy  hands,  0  Lord,  devoted  to  thy  cause ; 
and  I  cherish  a  hope  that,  at  some  time  or  other,  in  some  way  or 
other,  through  thy  ministering  spirits,  good  will  accrue  therefrom. 

Did  I  say  I  was  among  those  who  understood  me  ?    It  may  be ; 


408  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

yet  I  could  not  have  meant  my  very  self.  I  had  reference  then 
to  the  spiritual  philosophy  which  is  gradually,  but  surely,  un- 
folding in  our  midst,  and  has  become  an  established  belief,  not 
only  in  this  household,  but  in  many  others.  I  can  truthfully  and 
with  the  most  heart-felt  gratitude,  say,  that  since  I  came  to  dwell 
in  this  land,  no  opposing  word  has  chilled  the  atmosphere ;  no 
malicious  eye  shot  forth  the  scorn  the  tongue  refused  to  quite  re- 
veal ;  no  blighting  winds  of  calumny  have  pierced  my  soul,  save 
those  which  blew  from  Northern  climes. 

What  you  say  of  a  "  great  deal  of  talk,"  etc.,  reminds  me  of  a 
vision  portraying  the  "  Keception  of  Spiritualism,"  which  I  read, 
a  short  time  ago,  and  will  here  insert. 

"I  see  a  great  city  in  the  distance;  a  great,  busy  place.  I  see 
one  man  coming  from  that  city.  He  looks  old,  yet  is  tall  and 
erect,  and  his  hair  is  gray.  Under  his  arm  he  has  a  roll  of  paper. 
He  is  coming  on  some  important  business  connected  with  this 
place.  Some  have  gone  out  to  meet  him.  To  them  he  is  unroll- 
ing his  papers,  and  spreading  them  out  before  them.  They  have 
found  something  new  there,  and  look  incredulous.  They  shake 
their  heads  and  turn  away  ;  yet  their  attention  is  arrested.  They 
crowd  up  and  look  at  the  papers.  They  read  them,  pass  an  opin- 
ion upon  them,  and  turn  away.  He  has  shown  them  what  they 
are,  and  now  his  part'  is  done.  He  therefore  turns  back  to  that 
city,  but  he  leaves  the  papers  behind  him.  With  his  back  toward 
me  he  walks  slowly  along,  in  deep  meditation,  and  with  his  arms 
folded.  He  is  alone,  and  no  one  notices  him.  They  are  too  ear- 
nestly engaged  looking  at  his  papers.  Now  a  great  crowd  has 
assembled  around  tliem,  and  it  is  very  much  excited  by  something 
wonderful  they  have  found  in  them. 

Now  they  are  passing  them  over  their  heads  to  their  leaders, 
and  spreading  them  before  them,  and  asking  their  opinion.  If 
they  receive  them  favorably,  the  crowd  are  willing  to,  but  they 
want  their  sentiments  first.  I  see  some  old  men  with  spectacles 
on,  who  are  examining  them.  They  go  together  in  the  corner  of  a 
large  room,  and  pore  over  them.  Some  gather  in  groups  and  dis- 
cuss them;  some  turn  away  impatiently,  and  walk  up  and  down, 
gravely  considering  them. 

Now  I  see  some  of  the  priests  come  up  to  examine  them.  One 
of  them  has  found  something  objectionable.    He  declaims  against 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  409 

it,  as  unlawful.     He  says  it  will  ruin  tlie  people  ;  it  will  not  do  to 
let  the  people  get  hold  of  such  doctrines.   He  is  very  much  excited. 

Now  one  of  the  priests  is  approaching,  so  puffed  up  with  pride 
and  self-conceit,  he  won't  look  at  the  papers,  but  turns  away  with 
a  sneer. 

Now  some  learned  men  are  examining  them.  They  say,  '  Show 
us  the  philosophy  of  this  thing,  give  us  the  laws  which  govern  it, 
let  us  know  the  science  of  it.' 

Now  they  have  all  got  into  a  wrangle  about  it;  they  dispute, 
and  all  talk  together. 

The  crowd  who  first  received  it  seem  to  have  dropj^ed  it,  and  it 
is  among  the  educated  classes.     They  disagree  about  it ;  some  of 
them  want  to  keep  it  among  themselves,  while  the  crowd  are- 
waiting  their  opinion  ;  and  as  sOon  as  it  is  given  they  will  con- 
Bent,  with  some  exceptions. 

Now  the  papers  begin  to  look  large.  How  they  are  spread  out, 
and  carried  round,  and  commented  on.  Almost  every  one  has  a 
leaf  or  a  copy.  And  spirits  are  standing  by  their  side  while  they 
are  reading  them,  though  they  cannot  see  them. 

There  is  very  great  excitement  among  the  intellectual  classes. 
They  have  all  got  hold  of  them. 

And  now  approaches  again  the  man  who  brought  the  papers. 
Crowds  of  people  are  going  to  him.  They  think  he  must  know 
all  about  it.  Some  are  inquiring  of  him,  some  are  abusing  him, 
calling  him  all  sorts  of  names.  Some  shake  hands  with  him,  and 
yet  are  afraid  people  shall  see  them  do  so.  But  they  seem  to 
think  so  much  of  him.  Yet  he  wears  the  same  calm  expression 
of  countenance  to  all.  He  tells  them  there  are  the  papers,  just 
as  they  were  given  to  him,  and  it  is  not  his  fault  if  they  diHer 
from  their  opinions.    They  must  judge  for  themselves. 

I  see  one  man  approaching  him,  who  is  very  dark  and  repelling. 
He  threatens  him.  He  would  annihilate  him  if  he  could,  he  talks 
80  bitterly.  Yet  he  sits  calmly  amidst  it  all.  Close  by  him  stands 
a  majestic  spirit,  who  sustains  and  strengthens  him.  That  causes 
him  to  look  so  firm.  He  loses  none  of  his  dignity  or  self-respect 
by  anything  that  dark  one  has  said.  He  is  neither  awed  nor 
overcome,  but  is  sorrowful.  I  see  the  tear  glisten  in  his  eye  as 
he  turns  away. 

The  dark  man  is  surrounded  by  a  gloomy  cloud.  He  has  two 
or  three  others  with  him.     He  stands  up  higher  than  they;  but 


410  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

they  all  feel  the  chilling  influence  of  that  dark  cloud,  but  not 
with  such  force  and  fury  as  it  works  on  him. 

What  a  storm  is  raging  around  him  who  brought  the  papers ! 
There  is  such  a  dust  and  confusion  around  him  that  I  can  hardly 
see  him.  But  he  is  not  forsaken.  There  is  something  bright  and 
shininff  right  over  him.  The  storm  will  not  hurt  him.  He  has 
six  or  seven  people  near  him.  How  bad  they  feel !  They  are 
crying,  and  I  see  him  no  more,  while  the  storm  rages  with  more 
violence  than  ever. 

But  ah  !  now  I  see  him  again.  There  he  is,  right  in  the  light! 
The  storm  has  passed  away,  and  he  looks  happy  and  pleased.  He 
seems  strong  and  young.  Just  see  how  beautiful  everything  is 
since  the  storm  has  gone  !  How  many  green  and  beautiful  things 
spring  up  all  around  him !  The  air  is  clear  and  balmy.  A  great 
many  old  things  have  tumbled  to  ruins,  and  every  thing  has  a 
renewed  and  youthful  look.  Those  who  were  near  him  now  look 
so  rejoiced!  The  storm  has  damaged  them  some,  too,  but  it 
has  done  them  good.  Their  countenances  look  clearer  and  better. 
He  has  gone  through  a  great  deal,  but  he  has  become  purer,  and 
looks  like  an  infant.  He  is  so  spiritual !  He  is  the  image  of  a 
good  man:  serene,  joyful,  and  happy.  He  was  sufEering  in  a  good 
cause,  and  see  what  good  has  come  of  it." 

The  following  fragmentary  portions  of  a  letter  I  insert,  simply 
because  containing  the  first,  and  indeed  the  almost  only,  expressed 
(to  me)  disapprobation  of  aught  relating  to  my  conduct  in  con- 
nection with  my  present  belief.  I  will  add  that  the  reply  to  the 
same  purported  to  have  been  dictated  by  a  spirit,  a  cherished 
friend  both  of  the  author  of  the  letter,  and  myself.  I  felt  sure  of 
an  invisible  presence,  and  of  supernal  aid  at  the  time,  although 
I  knew  not  from  what  source  it  came  until  several  days  afterward. 
As  this  was  the  first  time  I  was  said  to  have  been  impressed  in  my 
writing,  I  am  equally  anxious  to  preserve  that,  although  I  can  only 
give  a  portion  of  each,  the  balance  being  of  such  a  personal  char- 
acter the  parties  would  be  in  danger  of  being  recognized.  The 
writer's  forebodings,  as  the  contents  of  the  letter  indicate,  were 
principally  on  a  friend's  account,  whom  we  shall  designate  G. 

"DearE- 


"  With  trembling  hand  I  seat  myself  to  address  you : 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  411 

trembling,  for  fear  I  may  say  something  that  I  had  better  not. 
But  I  pray  God  that  he  will  direct  my  pen,  that  I  may  not.  I 
could  a  great  deal  easier  sit  down  and  cry  myself  sick  than  say 
what  I  am  going  to  to  you,  if  I  did  not  feel  that  1  had  a  duty  to 
perform  which  I  dare  not  shrink  from.  I  do  so  hate  to  give  you 
pain,  that  my  hand  almost  refuses  to  do  its  office.  I  thought  I  could 
not  meddle,  until  G.  read  his  letter  to  me,  from  you,  when  I  made 
up  my  mind  it  was  time  you  knew  upon  what  ground  you  were 
standing 

I  must  tell  you,  but  pray  God  it  may  not  harm  you ;  she  said, 

that  she  and ,  both  thought  you  were  crazy.     0,  that  it  should 

become  necessary  for  me  to  write  it! 

0,  how  can  you  dare  to  interest  G.  iu  those  things,  after  seeing 

the  awful  end  of  B ,  and  to  look  back,  and  see  how  many  of 

the  family  have  been  deranged.  0,  it  does  seem  to  me,  it  ought 
to  be  a  warning  to  us,  not  to  bring  up  anything  to  excite  even 
curiosity,  for  we  all  know  how  natural  it  is  to  him,  to  want  to 
know  all  that  is  to  be  known.  I  want  you  to  promise  me,  as  one 
of  the  greatest  favors  that  you  could  grant,  that  you  will  drop  the 

subject  entirely  with  G I  feel  that  our  old  religion   is 

good  enough,  and  we  shall  be  accepted  if  we  strive  to  do  every 
known  duty.  You  surely  can  trust  us  iu  our  heavenly  Father's 
hands,  who  doeth  all  things  well. 

I  want  to  beg  you  once  more,  before  I  close,  to  grant  my  re- 
quest; for  if  this  thing  should  be  brought  into  our  home,  I  should 
tremble  for  the  consequences.    And  another  thing  will  obtrude 

itself  upon  my  mind :  L spoke  of  your  having  a  good  deal 

of  gentlemen's  company.  0,  may  we  not  have  the  sting  of  think- 
ing you  are  a  free  lover :  above  all  things,  let  us  think  of  you  as 
pure.  It  seems  to  me  it  would  be  too  much  for  us  to  think 
otherwise 

Upon  looking  over  my  letter  I  see  I  have  not  said  quite  all  I 
want  to  about  what  Mrs. said, she  went  on  to  ex- 
press herself  so  strongly,  and  got  so  excited,  that  I  feared  to  stay 
another  minute,  for  fear  it  might  bring  harm  in  some  way. 

And  noAV,  dear  E ,  I  have  been  very  plain  with   you.     I 

must  say,  if  it  will  harm  you  any  less,  that  /  do  not  doubt  yoiir 
siiicerity.  But  as  you  will  have  to  answer  at  the  bar  of  God,  for 
harm  that  may  come  from  what  you  may  say,  or  write,  I  hope 
you  will  be  careful.    We  are  too  apt  to  be  too  sure  that  we  are 


412  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

right,  and  the  rest  wrong.  I  do  not  wish  to  say  anything,  or 
hear  anything  upon  the  subject  that  has  disturbed  us  so  much, 
as  we  never  should  agree.    I  wish  to  drop  it  entirely." 

I 

[eeplt.] 

Your  letter  was  received  last  eve,  and  carefully  perused,  though 
not  with  tears  of  remorse ;  far  from  it.  My  first  impulse  was  to 
take  no  notice  of  its  contents  ;  but  a  more  careful  consideration, 
and  a  message  from  your  own  mother,  saying,  She  means  all 
right,  have  decided  me  upon  a  different  course.  Were  it  concern- 
ing myself  alone,  I  could  bear  your  reproaches  in  silence,  for  — 
In  the  Lord  put  I  my  trust  —  and  He  has  enabled  me  to  live 
above  these  petty  annoyances.  Yet  I  feel  it  is  but  just  to  the 
cause  of  the  truth  which  I  espouse,  to  express  myself  freely  upon 
these  subjects.  And  may  the  same  Grod  who  has  guided  your 
pen,  direct  my  thoughts,  that  I  may  be  enabled  to  answer  your 
every  suggestion,  in  a  truthful,  and,  as  far  as  may  be,  satisfactory 
manner. 

You  say  you  think  it  is  time  I  knew  upon  what  ground  I  am 
standing.  I  agree  with  you  perfectly  in  this,  and  at  tlie  same 
time,  thank  my  heavenly  Father  that  he  hath  made  my  way  so 
^lain  I  cannot  be  mistaken 

As  to  the  crazy  part :  I  believe  myself  to  be  perfectly  sane  at 
the  pi-esent  time ;  but  how  long  I  might  remain  so,  were  I  to 
knowingly  place  myself  in  circumstances  where  my  best  thoughts 
and  feelings  were  misinterpreted,  the  highest  and  purest  aspira- 
tions of  which  my  being  is  capable,  crushed  out  and  trampled 
uj^on,  God  only  knows.  It  is  evident  to  me  that  the  suppression 
of  the  knowledge  we  crave,  and  which  God  has  intended  should 
be  as  free  to  all  as  the  air  we  breathe,  will  do  more  to  produce 
"  insanity,"  than  a  careful  and  judicious  study  of  the  same.  Wo 
are  all  created  free  moral  agents,  with  a  right  to  think,  speak, 
and  act,  for  ourselves. 

"  As  you  will  have  to  answer  at  the  bar  of  God  for  harm  that 
may  come  from  what  you  may  say  or  write,  I  hope  you  will  be 
careful."  Yes,  I  hope  I  shall ;  and  truly  thankful  am  I  that  it  is 
God's  "  bar,"  to  which  I  shall  have  to  answer,  instead  of  the  bar 
of  human  injustice  and  wrong.  Again,  you  speak  of  the  "old 
religion  "  being  good  enough  for  you.     Now,  friend,  I  do  not  be- 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  413 

lieve  there  is  a  being  upon  the  face  of  the  earth  who  has  ever 
heard  me  speak  ill  of  any  religion,  sect,  or  creed.  I  acknowledge 
the  good  in  all,  both  inside  and  outside  of  the  churches.  And 
here  it  might  be  well  to  whisper  a  word  in  your  ear,  lest  you 
should  be  caught  unawares.  This  "  new  religion,"  as  you  term  it, 
is  slowly  but  surely  creeping  into  the  churches.  Many  leadiag 
members  have  already  acknowledged  their  belief  in  spirit-com- 
munion, as  have  their  pastors  and  teachers.  Others,  and  cele- 
brated ministers,  too,  who  draw  crowds  of  worshippers,  were 
convinced  of  these  truths,  years  ago,  although,  from  the  lack  of 
moral  courage  or  some  other  reason  best  known  to  themselves, 
they  do  not  come  out  before  the  world  as  Spiritualists. 

There  is  one  other  subject  which  T  suppose  you  have  felt  it 
your  duty  to  bring  up,  upon  which  I  shall  waste  no  time,  further 
than  to  say,  If  my  past,  present,  and  future  life  speak  not  for 
itself  in  regard  to  its  own  "  purity,"  words  which  I  could  utter 
would  be  of  no  avail. 

In  regard  to  your  conversation  with  Mrs. ,  it  neither  sur- 
prises nor  alarms  me  ;  if  you  enjoyed  it,  all  right.  Excuse  me  if 
I  say  it  is  the  only  subject  which  I  ever  knew  you  to  think  alike 
about,  and  the  reason  why  you  agree  upon  this  is,  because  neither 
of  you  know,  or  care  to  know,  "upon  what  ground  you  stand." 
I  understand  her  feelings  toward  me  much  better  than  you  can. 
That  it  would  mortify  her  to  have  her  friends  know  that  the 
word  "  spiritualism  "  was  even  mentioned  in  her  dwelling,  is  true. 
Why  ?  Because  it  is  not  'popular.  I  blame  her  not,  nor  would  I 
willingly  add  a  feather's  weight  to  her  unhappy  frame  of  mind, 
the  true  cause  of  which  is  within  her  own  being  instead  of  ...  . 
We  have  now  both  unburthened  our  minds,  and  I  trust  we  shall 
"  agree  to  disagree."  I  have  said  nothing  but  the  truth,  and  if 
you  are  not  pleased  with  it  you  have  no  one  to  blame  but  ybursclf, 
as  I  should  never  have  said  or  written  one  word  to  you  upon  the 
subject  had  I  not  felt  it  ^^my  duty"  after  receiving  your  letter. 
I  shall  endeavor  to  stand  up  for  the  truth  and  the  right,  now  and 
ever,  though  by  so  doing  I  may  lose  the  confidence  of  many  dear 
earthly  friends ;  neither  shall  I  sit  down  and  cry  over  it;  much 
rather,  if  need  be, 

"  Forget  the  steps  already  trod, 
And  ojitoard  urge  thy  waj% 


414  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

'Tis  God's  all-animating  voice 

That  calls  thee  from  on  high, 
'T  is  his  own  hand  presents  the  prize 

To  thine  uplifted  ej'e." 

1  see  plainly  the  point  you  wish  to  gain  is,  in  regard  to  my 
writing  to  G.  (I  will  here  state,  that  the  subject  was  first  intro- 
duced by  him  and  not  by  me.)  I  assure  you  I  shall  not  do  so,  unless 
he  desires  it,  but  if  he  is  as  much  interested  as  I  think,  there  are 
plenty  of  ways  in  which  he  can  obtain  the  desired  information, 
as  you  can  scarcely  take  up  a  paper  without  finding  something  in 
regard  to  these  subjects.  They  will  not  much  longer  be  put 
dozvn.  The  light  will  not  always  be  hidden  under  a  bushel.  The 
very  fact  that  G.  "wants  to  know  all  that  is  to  be  known,"  shows 
that  his  mind,  as  well  as  his  body  requires  food  ;  and  there  is 
just  as  much  reason  in  starving  the  one  as  the  other. 

One  thing  more,  and  I  am  done  :     A writes,  that  she  tried 

to  "  smooth  over  matters  "  to  you,  in  regard  to  my  long  absence. 
I  am  sorry  she  did  so,  as  I  hate  intrigue ;  if  the  truth  cannot  be 
spoken,  I  prefer  silence. 

I  know  this  letter  will  give  you  pain,  but  I  cannot  help  it,  it 
had  to  be  written  j  but  it  has  not  been  done  from  any  ill  feeling 
toward  yourself  or  any  one ;  you  have  done  what  you  thought 
right.     Am  glad  you  do  not  doubt  my  sincerity. 

I  had  thought  my  last  personal  extract  was  inserted ;  but  a  let- 
ter came  to-day  which  seems  a  little  different  in  character  from 
any  contained  herein,  and  brings  the  dear  "  little  ones  "  so  forcibly 
to  my  mind,  that  I  cannot  but  hope  that  they  will  receive  a  bless- 
ing from  the  spirit-messengers  of  love. 

"  Your  letters  are  so  '  weighty '  that  I  have  to  read  them  over 
a  good  many  times  to  settle  them  in  my  brain  —  then  I  can't  re- 
member half.  Seems  to  me  you  must  study  a  great  deal,  certain- 
ly your  writings  indicate  it.  I  do  not  see  but  what  your  argu- 
ments are  pretty  sound,  and  I  must  say  that  I  agree  with  you  in 
a  good  many  things.  Speaking  of  'hell-fire'  sermons,  I  suppose 
you  agree  that  there  is  future  punishment,  for  certainly  if  the 
scriptures  teach  anything  they  teach  that,  and  it  is  compared  to 
burning.    I  have  never  been  taught  that  it  was  really  Jire,  but 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  415 

anguish  amounting  to  the  same.  There  are  lost  spirits  ;  whether 
they  are  ever  reclaimed,  I  don't  know.  You  think  they  are. 
Christ  came  to  save  all  who  repent  and  believe.  What  a  blessed 
thought  it  is,  that,  when  we  leave  this  world  we  can  be  born 
into  a  brighter,  happier  one.  But  if  our  happiness  depends 
on  our  actions  here,  I  do  n't  know  where  I  shall  be ;  it  seems  as 
if  I  did  not  live  one  day  through  without  getting  out  of  patience 
with  the  children.  Now  if  I  prayed  for  a  spirit  of  patience,  as  I 
ought,  I  suppose  it  would  be  granted,  would  n't  it  ?  But  I  do  n't, 
you  see.  The  evil  spirit  is  in  me  all  the  time ;  only  once  in  a 
while  I  seem  to  be  peaceful  and  happy,  and  yet  I  have  everything, 
almost,  to  make  me  good  in  this  world.    I  tell  you,  it  needs  a 

wise  head  to  govern  children  as  they  should  be.     L is  a 

good  girl,  but  she  is  so  full  of  frolic,  and  so  forgetful  and 
careless.  We  have  real  nice  times  together,  but  I  do  get  out  of 
patience  with  her  so  often." 

My  letter,  dear  friend,  would  soon  settle  down 
In  that  brain  of  thine,  if  only  poor  me 
Dictated  the  same.     If  "half"  you  remember 
'T  is  more  than  do  I,  for  it  comes  and  goes, 
As  a  breeze  passing  by,  tarrying  not. 
Me  study  !     No,  indeed,  not  I.    /VMiat's  that? 
My  arguments  sound  !     All  right  if  they  are, 
But  "faith  and  I  fear  they're  niver  a  bit  mine." 
And  what  of  hell-fire  ?     But  I  must  sober  down 
Or  they  '11  think  me  worse  than  I  really  am. 
No.     Seldom,  thank  God  !  is  this  doctrine  now 
Proclaimed  abroad.     Future  punishment?     Yes, 
Each  deed  and  each  thought  its  penalty  brings ; 
It  may  be  to-day,  it  may  be  next  year  ; 
It  may  be  when  slumbers  our  form  in  the 
Tomb  ;  but  this  do  we  know.     'T  will  ne'er  be  less, 
Nor  can  it  be  more  than,  the  deed  or  thought 
Injustice  demands.     The  anguish  of  mind  — 
Which  punishment  is  —  accords  to  the  same. 
But  this  is  not  all.     "NVhate'er  wc  have  done 
That  may  have  produced  an  evil  effect, 


416  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

"We  must  strive  to  undo  —  or  the  evil 

Eepair.     Until  we  do  this,  we  are  bound 

As  with  cords,  to  things  of  the  past, 

And  can  not  imbibe  the  pure  joys  of  heaven, 

Or  in  the  scale  of  progression  ascend. 

Our  Saviour  himself,  much  less  his  blood,  can 

Not  expiate  sin.     By  example  pure, 

And  precepts  divine,  he  taught  us  the  way, 

Which  way,  if  we  tread,  leads  upward  to  God. 

With  what  measure  we  mete,  that  measure  withal 

Comes  back  in  return. 

Aye,  blessed  indeed 
Is  the  thought  of  our  birth  to  a  brighter 
And  happier  world.     Believe  me,  dear  child. 
You  are  gromng  each  day  more  patient  and 
Gentle  with  your  own  darling  ones.     Thou  hast 
In  thy  keeping,  it  is  true,  tender  buds, 
But  be  not  faint-hearted,  for  wisdom  shall 
Unto  thee  be  given.     Thy  guileless  heart 
Is  open  and  free  ;  no  cherished  sins  are 
Found  rankling  there.    AVhen  we  know  our  own  faults 
The  battle 's  half  won ;  and  victory  sure 
Will  crown  with  success  thy  beautiful  life. 
Not  the  breath  of  a  prayer  from  thy  soul  goes 
Forth,  but  brings  in  return  sweet  echoes  of 
Love.     In  affections  kind  thy  heart  is  rich. 
Thy  maternal  love  devoted,  as  strong. 
Thy  dear  little  claimants,  so  innocent, 
A  firm,  yet  love-tempered  course  demand. 
Their  questions,  we  see,  you  answer  kindly; 
'Tis  well.     Retain  in  thy  keeping  their  sweet 
Confidence,  tender,  uncliaiued,  and  free  ;  'twill 
Happiness  render  to  both  them  and  thee  ; 
For  they  '11  love  thee  more ,  reverence  no  less  : 
"  True  love  may  cast  out  fear,  but  not  respect. 
That  fears  the  very  shadow  of  offense." 
Then  strive  thee  truly,  thy  children  to  teach 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  417 

The  duties,  we  all  humanity  owe 

In  charities  tender.     Teach  them,  also, 

To  feel  and  cherish,  while  their  pulses  beat, 

Mercy  and  kindness  for  all  living  things. 

Thy  darlings  are  fair  —  surpassingly  so, 

Then  make  thou  the  inner  temple  compare  ; 

What  now  is  lovely,  may,  by  true  culture, 

Still  more  so  become  in  its  prime.     May  their 

Young  and  tender  minds  expand  in  beauty  — 

And  may  they  become  living  ensamples 

Of  holiness  and  purity,  loving 

And  serving  Him  whose  heart  is  pity's  throne. 

And  whose  mandates  wound  not  except  to  heal. 

Farewell,  precious  mother ;  sweet  babes.  Farewell. 

Yes,  friends,  farewell  is  the  word.  I  thought  to  have  said  it 
long  before,  but  could  not.  I  suppose  it  would  not  be  considered 
"proper"  for  one  whom  the  world  recognizes  as  the  author  of  a 
work,  to  pass  judgment  on  the  same.  But  I  trust  you  will  par- 
don me  for  here  saying :  I  had  no  intimation  of  the  character  of 
its  contents  in  advance.  The  criticisms  on  my  former  work, 
which  are  inserted  in  this,  were  all  spontaneous  productions.  I 
have  solicited  none  except  from  two  persons  (with  a  view  to  ad- 
vertising the  book)  neither  of  which  have  seen  fit  to  respond. 
All  that  have  come  to  me  are  here  made  public,  aud  without 
abridgment  save  in  some  three  or  four  cases  in  avoidance  of  repe- 
tition. 

I  have  in  store  a  few  choice  titbits  from  the  perusers  of  said 
volume,  some  of  wliich  came  to  me  personally,  others  indirectly. 

One  person  thinks  the  book  maybe  of  some  use  to  "begin- 
ners "  in  the  spiritual  philosophy.  Another :  It  is  so  "  advanced  " 
they  cannot  comprehend  it.  The  reading  of  it  exerts  a  soothing 
influence  over  one,  and  puts  him  to  sleep.  "  IIow  can  that  be  ?  " 
says  his  neighbor;  "I  cannot  sleep  at  all  if  I  read  it."  A  friend 
has  read  it  through  once,  and  is  reading  it  again  ;  likes  to  have  it 
where  she  can  "catch  it  up."  Another,  who  evidently  likes  pop- 
ularity better  than  she  does  the  book,  says,  "  It  is  n't  fit  to  be  in 
anybody's  house."      One  respectable  gentleman  purchased  and 


418  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

read  the  book,  then  offered  it  for  sale  at  fifty  cents.  About  the 
same  time,  another  gentleman  took  one  on  trust,  and  a  few  days 
afterward,  brought  me  five  times  that  amount,  insisting  that  it 
was  worth  that  to  him.  A  certain  individual  thinks  the  writings 
indicate  an  unhappy  frame  of  mind.  Another,  in  conversing 
with  me,  says,  "  I  would  give  anything  in  the  world  to  feel  as  I 
imagine  you  do,  from  your  writings."  One,  who  had  the  book  in 
her  possession,  lent  it  to  a  neighbor  who  said  it  was  the  best  book 
she  had  ever  read  on  that  subject.  We  hear  of  another  who  act- 
ually burned  the  book  because  (he  said)  so  many  wanted  to  bor- 
row it ;  and  he,  not  endorsing  its  teachings,  felt  unwilling  to  lend 
it.  If  this  be  the  true  reason,  we  honor  and  respect  that  man  for 
acting  in  accordance  with  his  own  convictions  of  duty. 

Of  course  the  book  remains  unchanged,  notwithstanding  the 
diverse  opinions.  It  has  certainly  been  serviceable  in  one  way,  to 
those,  at  least,  who  chose  to  make  it  so  —  serving  as  a  mirror  in 
which  they  might  "  see  themselves  as  others  see  them."  For  as 
"the  moral  and  intellectual  status  of  man  is  grounded  in  the  ma- 
terial," so  is  it  reproduced  in  the  every-day  occurrences  of  life  by 
whatever  we  come  in  contact  with.  Each  person  we  meet,  each 
book  we  read,  is  but  a  reflection  of  our  own  mind.  If  we  see  in 
our  friends  nothing  to  love  and  admire,  it  is  sure  evidence  that 
something  is  wrong  with  ourselves ;  and  vice  versa.  There  can 
be  no  better  criterion  to  judge  people  by,  than  the  judgment 
which  they  pass  upon  others. 

I  expect,  after  all,  I  have  heard  but  a  small  tithe  of  what  has  been 
said  in  regard  to  the  book  "■  Misunderstood,"  yet  I  have  no  scru- 
ples in  saying.  It  has  been  enough  to  establish  in  my  mind,  be- 
yond the  shadow  of  a  doubt,  two  facts  concerning  it.  First :  It 
must  possess  some  merit,  as  well  as  demerit,  to  call  forth  even 
the  amount  of  criticism  which  has  come  to  my  knowledge.  Sec- 
ondly :  notwithstanding  all  its  faults  and  foibles  —  and  I  know 
there  are  many  such  —  li  is  rir/htly  named. 

All  unpopular  authors  have  my  sincere  and  heart-felt  sympa- 
thy, and  I  would  suggest  that  we  make  use  of  the  philosopher's 
(Apollonius)  prayer;  substituting /new(?s  for  "things."  "  0  ye 
gods !  grant  me  to  have  few  things,  and  to  stand  in  need  of  none." 
The  first  part  of  it  is  sure  to  come  true ;  the  last  mat/,  sometime. 
With  all  of  our  "eccentricities,"  "hallucinations,"  "transcenden- 
talisms," etc.,  we  have  this  to  console  us  —  we  are  sure  to  escape 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  419 

the  ""Woe  unto  you,  when  all  men  shall  speak  well  of  you !  for  so 
did  their  fathers  to  the  false  prophets." 

There  is  one  thing  I  came  near  forgetting  to  mention,  which 
seems  to  me  a  little  remarkable,  and  augurs  well  for  the  cause. 
Not  a  person  who  has  written  to  me  upon  the  subject  has  ex- 
pressed a  disbelief  in,  and  I  think  not  a  doubt  concerning,  the 
truth  of  spirit-communion.  I  rejoice  in  this,  most  firmly  believ- 
ing that  spiritualism  will  eventually  be  the  religion  of  the  world, 
gathering  all  that  is  good  from  all  religions.  "It  will  also  be  the 
conservatory  of  science ;  for  all  truth  centres  in  God."  0,  then, 
dear  friends,  will  ye  not  help  to  rear  and  culture  the  flowers  of 
angelic  wisdom,  which  shall  bloom  for  thee  in  the  bright  sum- 
mer-land, where  life,  in  its  freedom,  is  a  "poem  from  the  finger's 
ends,"  and  where  all  things  are  formed  anew  ? 


The  winter's  dreary  days  have  gang  agla^ 

Spring  verdure  and  sweet  flowers  succeed 

The  seeming  barrenness  of  hill  and  dale  ; 

Only  seeming,  thank  God  !     The  germ  of  the 

Soil  dies  not ;  it  needs  but  the  genial  breath 

Of  the  sun's  life-giving  warmth  and  light  to 

Resurrect  itself  in  unsurpassing 

Loveliness,  fresher,  purer,  for  its  season 

Of  tranquil  repose.     So  truth,  when  crushed,  shall 

Rise  again.     Ilowe'er  so  deep  in  error's 

Debris  hid,  it  forth  shall  spring,  untarnished 

By  tradition's  fast-receding  wave,  whose 

OvePwhclming  power  must  soon  give  place  to 

Rising  wave  of  Freedom's  noble  birth,  whose 

Fruits  are  liberty  of  thought,  speech,  and  life, 

Combined  with  equal  justice  to  our  race. 

O  progress  eternal !  how  beautiful 

The  thouirht !     Angelic  voice  of  love  and  truth, 

Roll  on,  and  with  majestic  sway,  higher 

And  yet  higher  in  the  scale  of  holiness 

And  purity,  lead  thine  adoring  worshippers  I 

Within  the  soul  of  each  a  germ  of  worth, 


420  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

Wliich  only  needs  the  vitalizing  force 

Of  truth,  halloAved  by  principles  of  love 

Divine,  to  fruitage  bear  of  heavenly  peace. 

Waters  from  out  the  living  well  of  hope 

Their  strength  and  beauty  shall  increase,  till  they 

Become  like  gardens  fair,  in  midst  of  which 

Shall  ever-blooming  trees  of  knowledge  their  seeds 

Of  perfected  wisdom  disseminate. 

Yea,  fowls  of  the  air  shall  gather  the  same, 

And  scatter  abroad  o'er  hill-top  and  plain. 

Through  valley  and  mead,  till  every  clime 

Some  few  have  received.     Which  seed  will  bring  forth 

Trees  after  their  kind.     And  what  is  their  kind  ? 

What  indeed  but  knowledge,  and  knowledge  is 

Liberty  ;  and  liberty  is  — "  The  soul's 

Eight  to  breathe,"  untrammeled  by  sectarian 

Creed,  cringing  before  no  cowled  priests  whose 

Symbols  dire  harass  unconscious  ignorance. 

The  "Tree  of  Life"  not  only  spread  its  branches 

Wide,  a  shelter  from  impending  storms  ;  it 

Also  did  disseminate  the  growing 

Germs  of  millions  more,  which  have,  in  strength, 

Become  like  to  the  cedars  of  Lebanon, 

And  "  whose  leaves  shall  be  for  the  healing  of 

The  nations."     Healing  them  from  what,  ask  ye? 

Centuries  and  centuries  ago  't  was  said : 

"  The  tree  of  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil,  thou  shalt  not 
eat  of  it ;  for  in  the  day  that  thou  eatest  thereof  thou  shalt  surely 
die." 

This  command  and  threatened  annihilation  purported  to  have 
come  from  the  Lord  God  himself,  "  with  whom  is  no  variableness, 
neither  shadow  of  turning." 

And  what  said  the  serpent,  who  is  called  the  Devil,  and  the 
father  of  lies  ?  "  Ye  shall  not  surely  die :  for  God  doth  know 
that  in  the  day  ye  eat  thereof,  then  your  eyes  shall  be  opened,  and 
ye  shall  be  as  gods,  knowing  good  and  evil." 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  421 

Here  we  have  direct  opposition  at  the  very  outset  of  man's 
proclaimed  creation.  These  contradictory  texts  emanate  from 
two  spiritual  beings  whom  the  sacred  writer  —  may  God  forgive 
his  ignorance! — styles  the  God  and  the  serpant.  A  reflective 
mind  which  ponders  these  things  cannot  fail  to  perceive  the  in- 
consistency of  their  teachings,  and  the  question  will  arise,  Which 
of  these  spirits,  if  either,  was  the  veritable  Lord  God  ?  Of 
course  there  can  be  but  one  answer.  The  one  that  told  the  truth. 
And  which  did  tell  the  truth  ?  The  same  writer,  in  the  same 
chapter,  informs  us  that 

"  The  Lord  God  said.  Behold,  the  man  is  become  as  one  of  us, 
to  know  good  and  evil ;  and  now,  lest  he  put  forth  his  hand,  and 
take  also  of  the  tree  of  life,  and  eat,  and  live  forever : 

Therefore  the  Lord  sent  him  forth  from  the  garden  of  Eden, 
to  till  the  ground  from  whence  he  was  taken.  So  he  drove  out  the 
man." 

This  opens  up  the  way  for  more  questions  :  Did  the  serpent 
deceive  Eve  —  if  there  was  an  Eve  ? 

All  things  came  to  pass  as  he  predicted. 

And  if  there  was  an  Adam  —  did  Adam  die  ? 

He  could  not  have  died  a  physical  death,  and  afterwards  have 
tilled  the  ground. 

Even  old  orthodoxy,  if  we  are  rightly  informed,  does  not  admit 
of  a  spiritual  death. 

Then,  again,  with  some  the  question  will  arise,  Where,  and  in 
what  condition  would  our  race  have  been  to-day,  if  poor  deluded 
Eve  had  not  eaten  the  apple  ? 

Alas  !  we  have  no  response ;  for  to  us,  this  wonderful  narrative, 
sadly  perverted  though  it  is,  was  but  the  forerunner  of  scores 
of  divine  symbols  far  excelling  it  in  beauty  and  wisdom  ;  and 
which,  at  the  present  day,  might  be  counted  by  the  millions. 

The  fruits  of  the  tree  of  knowledge  of  good  and  evil,  have  been 
widely  scattered  over  the  earth,  and  are  still  fulfilling  their  des- 
tiny, by  shaking  the  very  foundations  of  the  old  heavens  and 
earth. 

Most  truly  did  the  spirit  say,  "In  sorrow  shalt  thou  eat  of  it 
all  the  days  of  thy  life;  (on  earth)  thorns  also  and  tliistles  shall 
it  bring  forth  to  thee." 

All  wlio  have  progressed  intellectually  and  spiritually  above 
the  ordinary  mind  and  masses  of  the  people,  can,  from  sad  ex- 


422  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

perience,  testify  to  the  truth  of  this  prediction.  The  gospel  of 
truth  has  been  sustained  only  through  individual  personal  "  sacri- 
fice of  selfishness,  and  an  expansion  in  the  elements  of  universal 
love  and  true  philanthropy."  The  beautiful  and  true,  from  time 
immemorial,  have  consecrated  their  lives  and  labors  to  bring  about 
a  plan  of  true  harmonial  development  for  humanity.  The  stand- 
ard of  truth  has  been  raised  higher  by  each  well-directed  advance 
of  self-sacrificing  devotion  and  exemplified  act  of  self-denial. 
There  must  be  an  Order  above  and  in  advance  of  the  world,  to 
govern  and  regulate  it.  These  must  be  such  as  "prefer  duty  to 
diversion.  He  who  is  false  to  present  duty,  breaks  a  thread  in 
the  loom,  and  will  find  the  flaws  when  he  has  forgotten  the 
cause." 

"  God's  work  remains  the  same,  and  will  endure  through  eter- 
nal ages.  Human  nature  is  everywhere  the  same.  In  all  ages  it 
has  had  the  same  wants  and  aspirations,  and  has  been  subject  to 
the  same  infirmities.  The  present  condition  of  society  is  no 
cause  of  discouragement.  The  future  cannot  be  determined  by 
the  present.  Like  life,  society  grows  from  a  principle  divinely 
implanted ;  it  is  progressing,  bringing  the  world  and  its  attrac- 
tions to  an  ultimate." 

There  are  noble  minds  to-day,  endowed  with  power  and  an  un- 
derstanding of  truth,  who  are  educating  souls  to  become  practical 
pioneers  in  the  glorious  spiritual  reformation,  between  which  and 
conservatism  the  spirit  of  divine  wisdom  stands  as  a  balance,  lev- 
elling all  distinctions  save  goodness,  transforming  the  drudgery  of 
life  into  pleasant  occupation  by  equalizing  labor,  maintaining  the 
strongholds  of  virtue  by  elevating  the  human  race  according  to 
to  the  inspired  revelations  of  the  angelic  host.  For  '-'what  edu- 
cation is  for  one  man  or  woman,  revelation  is  for  the  whole  hu- 
man race."  Yea,  for  all,  regardless  of  sect  or  sex.  Woman  shall 
no  longer  be  excluded  from  her  right  to  aid  in  purifying  and  sus- 
taining a  rational  system  of  morality  and  spiritual  development, 
for  she  is  of  more  worth  than  to  be  a  mere  instrument  of  worldly 
pleasure.  "  We  see  in  our  Zion-home  women  of  strength  and 
virtue,  whose  consecrated  powers  adorn  and  beautify  the  temple 
of  God."  Yea,  they  receive  and  diffuse  the  divine  esse  of  love 
which  permeates  all  mind  and  matter,  and  establishes  upon  earth, 
"  a  true  type  of  angelhood  in  the  spheres." 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  423 

O  thou  Spirit  of  Truth  !  ascend  with  us 

More  lofty  altitudes  of  light  divine  ; 

Whose  ideal  beckons,  yea,  with  silv'ry  voice 

Calls,  "Come  up  higher,  above,  away  from  earth  !" 

The  pathway  seems  wondrously  new  and  strange, 

Paved  with  eternal  rocks  of  holy  thought, 

Containing  essences  of  subtile  power 

To  penetrate  and  vivify  the  daring 

Soul  which  mounts  and  soars  through  changing  vistas 

Of  delight,  fresh  draughts  of  wisdom  to  secure. 

'T  is  holy  ground,  on  which  we  tread  with  rapid 

Strides  ;  the  winding  jjath  mysterious  gives 

Birth  to  marvels  unrevealed  ;  celestial 

Wonders  a  living  panorama  seem. 

The  River  of  Knowledge  we  pass,  and  plunge 

In  its  pearly  stream,  emerging  forth  with 

A  deeper  joy,  and  with  gems  of  bright  truth 

From  the  beautiful  wave  of  harmonic  life. 

O  thou  sinless  spirit  of  purity  ! 

When  shall  we  reach  the  Eureka  of  bliss 

Where  blooms  the  tree  of  life  eternal,  whose 

Way  by  cherubims  and  seraphims  is 

Guarded  ?     Onward  we  roam,  upward  we  soar, 

Yet  the  same  deep  whisper  from  our 

Soul  goes  forth  :  "I  hunger,  hunger  still !" 

We  know  we  are  but  the  breath  of  a  thoufirht  — 

O 

Faint  echo  of  life  ;  But  O  !  we  would  ask 

For  the  keys  to  unlock  the  God-like  powers 

Of  the  spirit  within  ;  bright  glimpses  of 

Which  stir  the  depths  of  the  soul,  but  quench  not 

Its  thirst.     O  !  that  the  music  of  the  sinless 

Angel  might  flow  into  our  enraptured  ears, 

Filling  us  with  a  mighty  impulse  to 

Upraise  and  beautify,  purify  and 

Ennoble,  earth's  weeping  sons  and  daughters, 

Leading  them  in  the  flower-fringed  paths  of  love 

Upon  which  shines  the  Sun  of  pure  Wisdom. 


424  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

O  thou  Source  of  Life  and  Light !  bend  thine  ear ; 
Let  Perseverance  be  our  motto  brave, 
Humility  the  garment  which  we  wear  ; 
Be  Faith  the  guiding-star,  and  hope  the  light 
Which  lures  us  on.     Then  on  the  staff  of  strength 
We  '11  lean,  while  prayer  shall  fill  our  souls  with  bread, 
Until  we  safely  reach  thy  kingdom  Lord — 
Celestial  Heaven. 


Finis. 


AN  INVOCATION. 


Father  in  heaven!  we  adore  thy  glorious  name;  we  look  to 
thee  for  help  in  time  of  need ;  we  feel  how  weak  and  incapable 
we  are  of  fulfilling  thy  laws :  the  "  spirit  indeed  is  willing,  but 
the  flesh  is  weak."  Wilt  thou,  0  holy  and  ever-blessed  Father 
of  Love,  strengthen  us,  and  enable  each  one  of  us  to  bear  life's 
burdens  ?  May  every  desire  of  our  hearts  be  pure  and  holy,  and 
may  we  extend  to  each  other  and  to  all  of  humanity  that  sympa- 
thy and  love  which  shall  help  us  to  realize  that  we  are  all  thy 
children,  and  that  our  souls  are  immortal.  Help  us,  0  Father, 
to  know  and  to  be  true  unto  ourselves,  thus  fulfilling  the  holy 
purpose  of  our  being;  for  if  we  are  true  to  ourselves  we  shall  be 
true  unto  others  as  well :  and  may  we  ever  strive  to  follow  the 
example  of  Him  who  did  no  sin,  neither  was  guile  found  in  his 
mouth.    Amen, 


[425] 


[}. 


B 


ATHER  THE  pEAUTIFUL, 

AND 


o¥SElf(  fo^yL^. 


[427] 


GATHER    THE    BEAUTIFUL. 


My  friends,  loved  ones,  draw  near,  I  pray,  and  learn 

A  lesson  from  the  honey-bee  : 
Mark  how  he  only  doth  extract  the  sweet, 
For  that  alone  from  grain  or  flower  is  meet 

To  gather  home  and  stow  away. 

The  flowers  from  which  he  stole  the  sweet,  remain 

Fresh,  pure  and  bright ;  the  passer-by 
Might  pluck  the  same  and  fail  to  know  or  miss 
The  sweetness  gathered  by  the  honey-bee's  kiss. 
O  lovely  flower  !  that  we  might  be 

Like  unto  thee,  so  pure  we  could  not  hide 

One  sinful  thought,  one  evil  deed  ; 
That  we  might  bear  the  noon-day  sun,  and  feel 
We  have  within  a  friendly  heart  toward  all. 

With  s}Tiipathy  for  those  in  need. 

Many,  say  "  the  world  is  beautiful !  "     Why  ? 

Because  within  their  own  bright  souls 
'T  is  so  reflected  ;  because  such  an  one 
Hath  learned  to  gather  the  beautiful  alone, 

Pass  by  earth's  lucre  and  seek  its  pearls  ; 

Yea,  pearls  of  wisdom,  pearls  of  truth  most  rare. 

And  why  so  rare  ?     Is  it  because 
We  have  no  just  conception  of  the  same  ? 
Nay,  nay,  my  friend,  that  cannot  be  ;  I  blame 

Thee  not,  and  yet,  I  pray  thee  pause  ;  — 

[429] 


430  THE   UNSEAI.ED   BOOK. 

Hast  thou  e'er  lived  according  to  what  thou 

Didst  at  the  time  perceive  to  be 
The  best  and  highest  course  thou  mightst  pursue  ? 
Hast  kept  thy  noblest  attributes  in  view  ? 

Thy  baser  passions  kept  at  bay  ? 

If  so,  my  friend,  thou  hast,  like  one  of  old, 
"  Chosen  the  better  part,"  and  hast 

Entered  already  the  valley  of  blessing ; 

Hast  drank  from  the  fount  so  cool  and  refreshing, 
And  had  a  sweet  taste  of  heaven's  repast. 

Thou  hast  gathered,  indeed,  the  most  beautiful ; 

O,  cherish  and  keep  it  alway  ! 
Add  treasures  thereto,  increasing  the  same  ; 
Seek  not  for  riches  or  for  worldly  fame  ; 

They  both,  like  the  dew,  will  pass  away. 

Seek,  rather,  the  pure,  the  good,  and  the  true, 

Nor  deem  them  hard  on  earth  to  find, 
For  I  tell  you,  friend,  by  a  God-given  law 
We  all  do  possess  a  heaven-born  ray 
Of  celestial  light,  though  dimmed, 

It  may  be,  by  the  casket  rough  it  wears. 

O,  crush  not,  then,  this  gem  so  fair, 
Nor  smother  with  corroding  care  this  fire, 
But  add  fresh  fuel  to  the  same  ;  then  higher, 

Brighter  its  flames  shall  rise,  and  bear 

Sweet  incense  to  its  maker,  God  ;  then,  too, 

Pure  angels,  from  the  sphere  of  light, 
Shall,  on  the  wings  of  love,  descend  to  earth, 
And  gather  up  the  beautiful,  the  truth, — 
That  truth  with  heavenly  radiance  bright. 

In  all  thy  intercourse  with  man,  if  thou 
Wouldst  seek  to  find  within  his  soul 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  431 

The  nobler  virtues  of  the  mind  and  heart, 
Wouldst,  all  unconsciously  to  him,  impart 
Desires  which  would  his  bosom  fill 

With  earnest  zeal  to  rise  above  frail  self. 

To  mingle  with  the  great  and  good, — 
O,  then,  my  friend,  thou  wouldst  thyself  from  him 
Gather  the  beautiful,  while  he  the  same 

From  thee  would  cull,  both  would  be  fed. 

'T  is  ever  thus,  our  great  Exemplar  said  : 

More  blest  are  they  who  freely  give 
Thau  those  who  only  do  receive  ;  'tis  sure, 
We  know  ;  yea,  every  word  of  God  is  pure, 

Then  near  to  Him  O,  let  us  live  ! 

"As  in  water  face  answereth  to  face, 

So  the  heart  of  man  to  man." 
Then  pray,  let  your  face  no  image  produce 
Which  might  lead  souls  astray  —  induce 

Men  to  think  your  heart  could  be  vain ; 

For  as  "love  is  the  guiding  star  to  love. 

And  soul  must  speak  to  soul,"  so  we 
Our  sacred  affections  must  keep  in  view, 
Rememb'ring,  all  "  who  learn  to  love  aright 

Do  pass  from  darkness  into  light." 

Methinks  I  hear  some  dear  one  ask  the  way 

To  love  aright !     The  golden  rule 
Comes  to  our  mind  ;  if  we  our  neighbor  as 
Ourselves  do  love,  'tis  enousrh  :  no  danger 

Of  loving  too  much  or  too  well. 

Let  Charity,  so  sweet  and  mild,  e'er  find 

A  home  within  thy  gentle  breast, — 
Charity,  which  is  the  bond  of  perfection ; 
Also,  the  hidden  manna  to  our  race, 

Without  which  we  have  nought  to  boast. 


432  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

Behold  the  sky  now  radiant  and  fair  ! 

Bright,  fleecy  clouds  are  flitting  by, 
And  far  away  the  crimson  glow  so  deep, 
Its  lustre  sheds,  while  golden  hues  do  leap 

Beyond  the  same.     Beautiful  sky  ! 

The  scene  is  changed  —  the  sky  so  bright  and  fair 

Is  hidden  from  our  sight  by  clouds 
Dark  and  dismal ;  no  sunshine  now  to  guide 
The  trav'ler  on  his  weary  way  ;  instead, 

Gathering  darkness  him  enshrouds  : 

We  would  compare  this  changeful  sky  with  man ; 

At  times  his  course  seems  bright  and  fair  ; 
He  scatters  sunshine  as  he  goes  ;  no  one, 
However  poor  and  mean,  doth  seek  in  vain 

His  tender  love  and  friendly  care. 

Then  comes  a  day  when  sorrows  deep  intrude ; 

His  tranquil  soul  is  clouded  o'er 
By  afliictions  keen  ;  wild  emotions  now 
His  bosom  thrill ;  his  pulse's  beat  is  slow, 

His  very  life  a  burden  sore. 

How  dost  thou,  then,  interpret  this  ?  my  friend, 

Dost  thou  in  darkness  still  revel  ? 
Or  dost,  like  patient  Job,  exclaim  instead, 
Shall  we  receive  good  at  the  hand  of  God, 

And  shall  we  not  receive  evil  ? 

Again,  shall  we  because  of  these  same  clouas 

Declare  that  sunshine  is  a  fraud, 
A  vain  delusion  which  will  nevermore 
With  its  golden  beams  heaven's  pure  light  restore  ? 

Nay,  nay,  not  so,  my  unkno"svn  friend  ;  — 

But,  like  the  bright  celestial  orb,  abide 
Until  the  clouds  be  scattered  all ; 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  433 

Then  trace  with  him  the  bright  and  fair,  unnaixt 
With  dreary  clouds  of  gloom  which  come  betwixt : 
Gather  alone  the  beautiful, — 

And  scatter  the  same.     There  are  treasures  rich 

Buried  deep  in  thy  heart  so  warm  ; 
O,  bring  them  all  forth  ;  polish  them  brightly ; 
Then  give  from  your  store,  esteeming  not  lightly 

Thy  God-given  talents  sublime. 

The  thing  that  hath  been,  it  is  that  which  shall 

Be,  saith  the  preacher,  David's  son  ; 
And  that  which  is  done,  is  that  which  shall  be  done  : 
And  there  is  no  new  thing  under  the  sun. 

Canst  thou  sense  it  ?     The  rivers  run 

Into  the  sea,  yet  the  sea  is  not  full. 

"  The  thing  that  hath  been."     How  is  this  ? 
Listen.     Thy  mother  has  a  rose  ;  single 
Its  leaves,  and  small  the  flower;  it  doth  mingle 

Sweet  fragrance  with  the  breeze  ;  it  is, 

Yes,  it  is  a  rose  ;  Is  it  beautiful? 

Nay.     You  may  possess  a  cultured  rose  ; 
Compare  the  two  :  just  look  1  thine  doth  unfold 
A  score  of  leaves  to  one  of  hers  ;  behold  ! 

Thine,  too,  is  more  than  twice  its  size. 

A  stranger  comes  and  views  the  two, —  one  who 

Has  never  seen  before  a  cultured  rose  ; 
If  guided  by  her  own  instinct  alone. 
Would  she  not  say,  "These  flowers  are  not  the  same"? 

Aye,  truly  too,  we  may  suppose, 

And  yet  they  both  do  bear  the  name  of  Rose. 

The  friend  is  right,  and,  too,  is  wrong; 
She's  not  to  blame,  and  speaks  what  is 
To  her  the  truth  ;  condemn  her  not  for  this. 

But  lead  her  forth  the  flowers  among  ; 


434  •  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

Explain  to  her  the  means  employed  to  change 

The  single  to  the  double  flower. 
Now  thus  would  we  the  preacher's  words  explain ; 
For  if  there 's  no  new  thing  under  the  sun, 

There 's  surely  undeveloped  power. 

The  past  and  present  have  done  —  are  doing,  much 

To  rear  the  structure  and  prepare 
For  what  shall  be  in  ages  yet  to  come  ; 
And  as  the  wheels  of  time  roll  on,  Reform 

Shall  be  the  watchword  and  the  tower. 

Long  ages  yet,  may  come  and  go  before 

His  early  purpose  is  fulfilled  ; 
Also,  the  rivers  run  into  the  sea 
Cycles  of  years,  ere  they  it  overflow ; 

The  powers  that  be  have  thus  decreed, 

And  to  every  thing  there  is  a  season. 

And  a  time  to  every  purpose 
Under  the  heaven  !     He  hath  made  every  thing 
Beautiful  in  his  time.     Again,  "  he  hath 

Set  the  world  in  their  heart : "  K  true, 

For  what?  that  man  might  have  a  work  to  do, 

An  aim  in  life,  a  purpose  to 
Fulfil?  ask  your  own  hearts.     In  much  wisdom 
Is  much  grief;  yet  wisdom  excelleth  folly 

As  far  as  lisrht  excelleth  darkness. 


"C 


And  wisdom  also  is  better  than  strength ; 

Nevertheless,  the  poor  man's  wisdom 
Is  despised,  and  his  words  are  not  heard. 
The  days  shall  come  when  ivorth,  not  wealth,  shall  guide 

The  human  mind,  and  trace  therefrom 

True  wisdom  from  a  higher  source  :  we  shall  know 
That  whatsoever  God  doeth 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  435 

It  shall  be  forever.     Hast  thou,  my  friend, 
An  erring  brother?  strive,  I  pray,  to  lend 
Thine  aid  to  lead  from  danger's  path  ; — 

"  A  word  fitly  spoken  is  like  apples 

Of  gold  in  pictures  of  silver." 
Notwithstanding  this,  beloved,  there  's  a 
Time  to  keep  silence,  and  a  time  to  speak, 

If  thou  thy  brother  wouldst  deliver. 

O,  show  thyself  friendly  and  kind  to  all,— 

Let  love  alone  reign  in  thy  heart ; 
For  a  bird  of  the  air  shall  carry  the  voice. 
And  that  which  hath  wings  shall  tell  the  matter, — 

Thy  life  become  a  living  chart : 

"  Or  ever  the  silver  cord  be  loosed. 

Or  the  golden  bowl  be  broken  :  " 
O,  then  shalt  thou  gather  at  the  river. 
The  pure,  the  bright,  the  beautiful  ever ; 

God's  love  shall  be  of  this  a  token. 

Remember,  a  friend  loveth  at  all  times  ; 

Let  thy  garments  be  always  white  ; 
O,  gather  and  scatter  the  beautiful, 
Thine  own  cup  of  joy  will  then  be  fuU 

In  summer's  day  and  winter's  night. 

There's  beauty  all  around,  below,  above, 

"  And  the  Soul  of  the  Beautiful 
Is,  the  Divine, — the  beauty  which  unites  the 
Human  to  the  divine  is  love,  and  love 

Is  the  longing  of  the  soul  for  love. 


436  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 


DEIFTING. 

I  'm  drifting  now,  I  have  no  home, 
No  place  that  I  can  call  my  own ! 

I  've  left  for  aye  my  cherished  room, 
Within  whose  walls  anfijels  came  down. 

Angels  so  kind,  so  pure,  so  bright : 
Why,  ye  loved  ones,  O,  tell  me  why 

Dark  clouds  surround?     Is  there  no  light — 
No  beams  of  love  to  cheer  the  way, — 

Must  I  go  forth  a  wanderer 

Upon  the  troubled  sea  of  life, 
Eemote  from  all  whom  I  hold  dear, — 

My  weary  soul  know  nought  but  strife  ? 

Is  there  no  home  on  earth  for  me, 

And  yet  must  I  abide  below 
And  crush  this  longing  to  be  free, 

Bearing  this  weary  weight  of  woe  ? 

My  spirit  longs  to  be  at  rest, 

To  meet  those  loved  ones,  O,  so  dear ! 
To  dwell  for  ever  with  the  blest. 

Nor  stem  the  tide  so  dark,  so  drear : 

I  know  that  thou,  my  angel-guide. 
Dost  say  my  work  is  not  complete  ; 

I  must  still  longer  here  abide. 

Though  bitter  mingle  with  the  sweet ; — 

Must,  for  the  sake  of  those  I  love. 
Endure  the  cross,  despise  the  shame, 

Give  forth  the  truth  which  those  above 
Eeveal  to  me  in  God's  dear  name. 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  437 

Then  hush,  my  soul,  this  inward  grief; 

Shrink  not  from  duty's  call,  I  pray ; 
Though  fierce  and  angry  be  the  strife, 

Thy  night  shall  end  in  glorious  day. 

Wilt  thou,  my  precious  angel-guide. 

Direct  my  mind  and  heart  aright  ? 
Help  me  to  rise  above  the  tide 

Of  selfish  thought,  and  by  thy  might 

Unfold  the  gift  God  hath  bestowed  ; 

Point  out  the  work,  show  me  the  way, 
Make  me  an  instrument  for  <jood 

Toward  all  humanity,  I  pray  I 

I  'm  waiting  now, —  must  it  be  long? 

I  want  to  do,  and  not  to  dream ; 
Wilt  thou  help  me  ?  and  is  it  wrong 

To  wish  to  be,  and  not  to  seem? 


THE   ANGEL'S  REPLY. 

We  heard  thy  prayer  of  yesternight ; 

We  see  thy  weary,  restless  soul 
So  longing  for  a  home  of  light 

Where  sin's  dark  waves  no  more  control. 


We  know  thy  pure  and  gentle  breast 
Sighs  for  the  dear  ones  gone  before ; 

There  seems  for  thee  no  place  of  rest, 
No  home  upon  thine  earthly  shore. 


438  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

Just  now,  we  see  the  storm  is  raging 
In  wild,  tempestuous,  angry  mood, 

While  cold  bleak,  winds,  round  thee  sweeping, 
Seem  drifting  thee  from  shoal  to  shoal. 

But,  sister  dear,  it  won't  be  long ; 

The  clouds  so  dark  will  soon  disperse  ; 
Thou  hast  not  done,  but  suffered,  wrong, — 

For  others  borne  the  heavy  cross. 

Have  patience,  then,  calmly  abide, 
Look  not  upon  the  past  as  lost, 

Though  fearfully  misunderstood 

By  those  you  love  the  most  and  best. 

A  change  will  come,  a  happy  change 
For  them  and  you  ;  yes,  by  and  by 

Their  thoughts  will  take  a  wider  range, 
Upheld  by  angels  from  on  high. 

Thy  work,  indeed,  is  not  yet  done  ; 

If 't  were  we  would  have  told  thee  so  ; 
We  would  have  sent  thy  dearest  one 

To  lead  thee  to  thy  home  on  high. 

Th}'-  words  and  deeds  of  love  and  light 
Have  here  prepared  for  thee  a  home, 

Yes,  beautiful,  radiant,  bright  ; 

We  can  but  show  thee,  now,  one  room : 

Its  atmosphere  is  pure  and  sweet. 

Fresh  flowers  are  blooming  ever  here 

Here  music  soft,  here  music  sweet 

Ascends  from  thine  own  earthly  sphere. 

'T  is  here  that  we,  thine  angel  band, 
Unite  our  forces  thee  to  aid ; 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  439 

We  love  thee,  sister,  and  we  stand 
As  sentinels  thy  soul  to  guard 

From  ills  which  thou,  as  mortal,  still 

Art  subject  to  ;  nor  is  this  all : 
We  do  thy  mind  and  brain  control ; 

We  write  our  image  on  thy  soul. 

Then  fear  thou  not,  for  this  we  say, 

Thou  wilt  not,  cannot,  far  go  wrong, 
For  we  shall  lead  thee  all  the  way. 

Yea,  we  will  help  thee  to  grow  strong. 

Canst  thou  not  trust  us,  sister  dear? 

Forgettest  thou  the  wondrous  truths 
We  made  to  thee  seem  bright  and  clear  ? 

Told  we  not  thee  thy  future  course 

While  at  the  time  thy  doubting  heart 
Could  not  discern  —  could  not  believe  ? 

Have  we  not  proved  beyond  a  doubt 
The  same, —  also,  that  we  still  live? 

Then  trust  us,  precious  child  of  earth ; 

We  still  will  guard,  we  still  will  guide, 
Help  thee  to  live  and  teach  the  truth, 

So  long  as  thou  on  earth  abide. 


440  THE    UNSEALED   BOOK. 


MOTHER  IN  ISRAEL. 

Have  you  seen  her  ?  do  you  know  her  ? 
And  what  they  tell  us  —  is  it  true, 
Concerning  her  whom  they  do  call 
The  mother  dear  in  Israel  ? 

"  We  have  seen  her  and  we  know  her ; 
We  will  gladly  send  thee  to  her ; 
Though  much  there  is  which  we  might  tell, 
No  *  hearsay '  satisfies  as  well." 

Can  she  tell  me  of  my  mother, 
Who  from  earth-life  passed  up  hither 
Ere  I  had  learned  to  know  and  love  her  ? 
Loves  she  still  her  darling  daughter  ? 

*'  It  is  not  she  who  hath  the  power 
To  tell  of  loved  ones  gone  before  ; 
But  if  thy  loved  ones  her  control, 
These  same,  indeed,  can  tell  thee  all." 

I  've  heard  that  she  did  ofttimes  see 
Bright  scenes  above,  and  spirits,  too, 
How  beautiful !     I  would  that  I 
Could  look  beyond  the  bright  blue  sky. 

"  They  call  this  phase  clairvoyant  sight, 
Or  spirit- vision,  pure  and  bright ; 
It  must,  indeed,  sweet  joy  impart 
To  visit  these,  of  heaven  a  part.'* 

A  good  developer,  as  well, 
She  is,  at  least  they  so  me  tell ; 
Hath  she  for  you  the  future  told. 
Or  helped  your  powers  to  unfold  ? 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  441 

**  She  has  indeed  some  things  foretold ; 
More  precious  in  my  sight  than  gold 
Is  all  the  loving  care  which  she 
So  kindly  hath  bestowed  on  me." 

She  is,  I  'm  told,  kind  to  the  poor, 
And  never  sends  them  from  her  door, 
But  gives  them  "  sittings"  all  the  same, 
"While  they  in  turn  do  bless  her  name. 

"  Quite  right,  my  friend,  full  many  come 
Without  money  and  without  price  ; 
Her  heart  goes  out  in  sympathy. 
Nor  does  she  work  alone  for  pay." 

I  hope  she  has  laid  up  in  store 
A  good  supply  ;  if  to  the  poor 
She  is  so  liberal  and  kind. 
She  must  possess  a  noble  mind. 

"  I  grieve  to  say  her  earthly  stores 
Are  not  abundant ;  the  reverse 
Would  be  nearer  ;  her  daily  bread 
Is  sure  to  come,  then  all  is  said." 

If  not  on  earth,  then  sure  in  heaven 
Her  deeds  of  love  have  all  been  written ; 
She  will  receive  a  just  reward 
And  dwell  forever  with  the  good. 

"  Yes,  if  the  seed  she  here  hath  sown 
Doth  yield  its  fruit,  slie  there  will  own 
Treasures  untold  which  perish  not, — 
They  all  have  been  too  dearly  bought." 

My  thanks,  kind  friend,  for  what  you  say, — 
I  '11  go  to  her  this  very  day  ; 


442  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

I  feel  quite  sure  that  something  bright 
"Will  come  to  me,  my  heart's  so  light. 

"  I  trust  there  will ;  a  truer  friend 
Than  she  to  me  I  '11  never  find ; 
The  name  she  bears  doth  suit  her  well  - 
A  Mother  kind  in  Israel." 


A  FRIEND  IN  AFFLICTION. 

How  sad  the  voice  which  whispers  in  our  ears 
When  earth  is  hushed  in  calm  repose  ; 

These  hours  recall  the  friends  of  former  years, 
Now  passed  beyond  this  vale  of  woes. 

Come  near,  thou  precious,  loving  ones,  to-night 

My  heart  is  sad — I  know  not  why, 
Thy  presence  can  make  it  the  home  of  light  — 

Without  thine  aid  I  dare  not  try 

These  sad  forebodings  to  repress  ;  alas  ! 

They  seem  to  cast  a  shadow  drear 
Around  my  pathway,  deep,  dark,  fathomless ; 

I  pry'  thee,  friends,  come  very  near  — 

And  fold  me  in  thy  warm  embrace  once  more, 
Whisper  low,  sweet  words  of  comfort ; 

O,  let  me  feel  and  know  that  loved  ones  near 
Do  all  my  secret  soul  interpret  I 

O,  what  is  life  with  all  my  dear  ones  gone  before? 

Must  I,  can  I  smother  this  grief. 
This  inward  dearth,  and  sorrow  meekly  bear? 

O  Father,  may  my  stay  be  brief 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  443 

"Within  tMs  dark  and  lonely  vale  of  tears  I 

O,  send  to  me  speedy  relief 
And  help  to  banish  all  my  worldly  fears ; 

My  heart  fix  thou  upon  thyself. 

Friend,  hearest  thou  mine  agonizing  cry? 

Hast  thou  no  pity  in  thine  heart  ? 
Forgettest  thou  the  days  agone,  when  I 

Did  share  with  thee  the  cruel  smart 

Of  sad  injustice  done  to  thee  and  thine  ? 

Alas  !  I  now  alone  must  bear 
That  grief  for  which  thou  didst  thy  life  resign  ; 

No  loving  one  have  I  to  share 

This  weary  weight  of  woe  — this  burden  sore  ; 

My  heart  is  drear  and  desolate, 
No  gleam  of  light  within  my  soul  so  bare  ; 

Come  thou,  before  it  is  too  late, 

Help,  O,  help  my  weak  endeavor  !  give  rest 

Unto  thy  weary  child  once  more  ; 
Give  strength,  give  patience,  till  I  upon  thy  breast 

Can  lay  me  down  for  evermore. 

"  O,  let  the  dead  and  the  beautiful  rest !" 

How  can  they  rest  when  they  behold 
Their  darling  ones  with  sorrows  deep  oppressed, 

And  they  miable  to  enfold 

Them  in  their  loving,  fond  embrace  so  sweet, 

So  soul-refreshing,  and  so  dear? 
"Hush  !  my  child,  thy  sad  repining  is  not  meet ; 

Thou  still  art  blessed  with  friends  to  cheer 

Thy  pilgrimage.     Awake  !  put  on  thy  strength, 
Put  all  thy  beauteous  garments  on ; 


444  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

Garments  of  purity  and  peace,  at  length 
Thy  righteous  labors  all  shall  crown ; 

Dwell  not  upon  thy  trials  sore,  live  thou 

Above  the  same  ;  ride  over  them  : 
Our  kindly  aid  most  gladly  we  '11  bestow, 

And  help  thee  to  life's  current  stem. 

Look  not  behind  !  upward,  heavenward  thy  course  ! 

If  thou  wouldst  have  our  sustenance. 
Reach  forth  thine  hand  ;  no  longer  let  remorse 

Thy  noblest  powers  of  mind  enhance  ! 

'  Out  of  the  darkness  !  into  the  light ! '  and 
Blessing  will  then  attend  thee  ever  ; 

Thy  soul  become  so  wondrously  bright,  that 
Sorrows  shall  darken  never,  O,  never  I " 


CHRISTMAS. 


'T  is  Christmas  Eve  !  and  I  am,  where  ? 
Far  from  my  home  :  I  cannot  ^hare 
With  those  I  love,  the  festive  mirth 
This  season  brings  to  all  the  earth, — 

I  shall  not  hear  the  voices  sweet. 

Which  have  been  wont  mine  ears  to  greet 

Before  the  rising  of  the  sun. 

On  holy,  happy  Christmas  morn  ;  — 

I  shall  not  see  the  stockinsfs  nine 
Hang  from  the  mantle  in  a  line. 
Commencing  with  the  Papa's  tall 
Down  to  the  smallest  one  of  aU ;  — 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

I  shall  not  place  my  little  mite 
Within  each  one  this  christmas  night ; 
I  have  no  work  to  finish  up  : 
I  wonder  if,  whem  I  'm  asleep 

I  '11  dream  of  home,  so  far  away, 
And  see  the  little  ones  at  play ; 
Receive  from  each  a  greeting  kind, 
And  feel  their  arms  about  me  twined  ! 

I  wonder  if  they  '11  miss  me  there. 
And  say,  I  wish  that  she  were  here  — 
I  hope  a  letter  I  '11  receive 
From  them  to-morrow,  or  this  eve  ;  — 

To-day  a  Christmas  package  came, 
Reminding  of  that  pleasant  home  ; 
It  did  contain  two  pairs  of  hose, — 
So  now  I  '11  have  no  more  bare  toes. 

Although,  the,  weather  is  so  warm, 
I  doubt  if  it  could  do  me  harm  ; 
It  seems  more  like  to  mild  September, 
Than  the  wintry  month  December. 

My  hostess  has  this  day  "  done  made  " 
Such  lots  of  pies,  and  cake  beside  ; 
The  turkey  too,  is  "mighty  fine  ;  " 
To-morrow  we  "  right  well "  will  dine. 

Not  that  it  is  a  thing  uncommon 
To  have  a  turkey,  in  this  region. 
For  here  these  birds  are  far  more  plenty 
Than  fair  young  girls — under  thirty. 

Geese  and  chickens,  ducks  included, 
Here  unwittingly  are  murdered  ; 


445 


446  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

We  have  them  daily  for  our  dinner  : 
Methinks  the  flocks  will  soon  get  thinner. 

'T  is  Christmas  mom  !  I  did  not  dream 
Of  Santa  Claus,  nor  of  my  home  — 
As  I  was  hoping  that  I  might  — 
But  had,  instead,  a  fearful  fright. 

Some  one,  I  thought,  came  to  my  door, 
Then  softly  walked  across  the  floor ; 
Came  to  my  bed  with  arms  outstretched, 
And  at  the  clothes  about  me  clutched  : 

'T  was  such  an  ugly,  frightful  dream  I 
At  first  I  could  not  move  or  scream ; 
A  mighty  efibrt  I  did  make 
To  call  for  help,  and  thus  awoke  ;  — 

No  one  I  saw,  'twas  very  dark, 
But  O,  the  dogs,  how  they  did  bark  I 
I  know  not  yet  what  was  the  matter, 
Or  why  they  made  such  fearful  clatter. 

The  day,  so  fair,  has  come  and  gone, — 
'Tis  eve,  and  here  I  sit  alone  ; 
I  went  to  church  this  morn,  and  heard 
Sweet  counsel  from  God's  holy  word. 

The  text  was  this  ;  "  Our  Relifrion  :  " 
And  all  who  do  it  make  their  own, 
Have  nought  to  fear  on  this  side  heaven, 
And  surely  not,  in  God's  pure  Eden. 

The  music  sweet  was  soul-enchantinsr ; 
No  power  or  harmony  was  lacking ; 
I  think  the  angel-choirs  above 
Must  sure  have  lent  their  aid,  in  love. 


THE     UNSEALED   BOOK.  447 

The  church,  so  neat,  with  box  and  pine, 
'  With  holly,  birch,  and  ivy- vine, 
Was  decorated  here  and  there. 
Quite  simply,  but  with  taste  most  rare  ;  — 

Each  lamp  was  taken  from  its  socket, 
And  in  its  place  were  berries  scarlet, 
All  intermingled  with  the  green 
So  bright  —  while  English  ivy-vine 

Came  trailing  down,  as  if  to  show 

How  luxuriantly  it  doth  grow 

In  this  sunny  Southern  clime, 

"Where  blasting  storms  ne'er  find  a  home. 

No  "  Merry  Christmas  "  do  we  hear, 
But  "  Christmas  Gift "  from  children  dear ; 
The  one  Avho  says  it  first,  expects 
From  others  to  receive  the  gifts. 

The  observation  of  this  day 
Is  quite  amiss  ;  I  grieve  to  say 
How  sadly  here  they  do  abuse 
The  same,  by  a  too  frequent  use 

Of  ardent  spirits  ;  the  day  doth  seem 
More  like  "Election" — for  we  ken 
Poor  foolish  men  oft  then  drink  rum, 
As  ofiice-seekers  give  them  some. 

One  poor  old  "  nig  "  was  sent  to-day 
To  the  land  where  good  darkies  go, 
I  hope,  by  one  who,  though  not  black. 
Was,  like  the  darkey,  very  drunk. 

Again,  the  day  seems  like  the  "Fourth," 
As  celebrated  by  the  youth ; 


448  THE    UNSEALED   BOOK. 

What  else  they  get  it  little  matters, 
Only  so  they  hsiVQ  Jire-crackers. 

The  hour,  I  fear,  is  getting  late  ; 
This  jingle  I  '11  submit  to  fate, 
And  when  I  write  to  you  again, 
Will  hope  to  have  a  better  pen. 

No  letter  from  home  had  I  to-day. 
So  must  bear  it  as  best  I  may  : 
With  a  kiss  for  the  children  dear, 
I'll  say  good-night,  and  then  retire. 


LINES  TO  FEOM  HER  SPIEIT-SISTER. 

My  precious,  darling  sister  !  I  am  with  you 

0  !  so  often,  in  the  hours 

When  daylight  fades,  and  twilight  gathers  anew 

From  thy  heart  sweet  memories 
Of  all  the  happy  days  and  years  you  and  I 

Have  lived  and  loved  together. 

I  wish,  dear  sister,  you  might /eeZ  my  presence, — 

Might  be  more  sure  my  spirit 
Returns  to  thee,  nor  thee  alone,  other  ones  — 

My  father  dear  I  visit. 
My  mother,  too,  whose  yearning  heart  oft  bemoans 

Her  loss,  my  gain,  dear  mother. 

I  do  so  long  to  tell  you  all  the  rapture 

1  feel  when  you,  my  dear  ones, 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  449 

Draw  near  to  me  in  heart  and  soul.     The  future 

Will  bring  to  thee  loving  tones 
Oft  whispered  in  the  midnight  breeze  :  you,  sister 

My  darling  !  do  oftentimes 

So  lonely  feel  without  me  there,  as  of  yore ; 

You  long  to  clasp  me  fondly. 
Your  heart  is  sad  and  desolate  ;  trials  sore 

Have  left  their  impress  dreary  ; 
I  long,  dear  one,  to  aid  thee  still,  saintly  pure 

Thy  spirit,  but  so  weary  ;  — 

But  brighter  days,  my  sister  dear,  will,  I  think, 

Soon  dawn  for  thee  ;  have  patience, 
My  own  loved  one,  thou  standest  now  near  the  brink 

Of  some  new  joy — assurance 
Is  mine  to  thee  inform,  though  first  thou  wilt  drink 

From  sorrow's  brimming  chalice. 

Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled  :  look  upward  I 

And  trust  thou  in  God  and  us  ; 
He  is  able,  we  are  willing ;  our  love  combined 

Shall  leave  thee  not  comfortless  : 
We'll  lead  the  kindly,  by  the  surest,  smoothest  road, 

And  thee,  darling,  will  cheer  and  bless. 

Thy  friends  above  are  numerous,  sister  dear, 

We  're  a  happy  loving  band  ; 
Sweet  music  fills  our  souls  alway, —  may  its  cheer 

Our  dear  ones  reach  —  softly  blend 
With  their  sweet  strains  wafted  on  high ;  these  we  hear 

So  oft  in  our  summerland. 

Sweet  flowers  are  blooming  ever  here  ;  their  fragrance 

Perfumes  the  air  so  sweetly. 
Then  rises  to  sublimer  heights,  as  incense 

From  those  who  rear  tenderly 


450  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

Kind  nature's  gifts,  rare,  beautiful ;  sweet  essence 
Of  love,  so  pure,  heavenly. 

Our  loves  we  cherish  fondly  here  and  truly, 

So  full,  so  rich,  and  so  free  ; 
Enough  for  all  who  will  receive  and  kindly 

Return  the  same  —  more,  maybe  ; 
But  fare  thee  well !     May  blessings  pure  and  holy 

Attend,  loved  one,  thine  and  thee. 


FORSAKEN. 

My  God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken  mer 

Did  I  not  leave  all  else  beside  to  follow  thee, — 

My  home,  my  friends,  and  all  that  I  on  earth  hold  dear? 

And  now  dost  thou  withhold  from  me  one  word  of  cheer  ? 

How  long,  O  Lord  !  how  long  must  I  in  darkness  grope, — 
How  long  hy  faith  alone  keep  heart?  I  once  had  hope, 
'T  is  sinking  fast ;  the  glimmering  light  I  saw  ahead, 
I  see  not  now, — where  hath  it  fled  ?  is  it  obscured 

By  passing  clouds  which  will  at  thy  command  disperse  ? 
Wilt  thou,  my  God,  my  heart  and  soul  once  more  immerse 
In  waters  deep,  so  deep  they  seem  my  life  to  chill  ? 
I  wait  to  hear  my  master  say,  Peace,  be  still. 

But  no,  still  come  these  troublous  waves  ;  each  one  gives  place 
To  sister  wave,  which  in  its  turn  doth  me  embrace. 
And  leave  me  weaker,  fainter  than  the  one  before  ; 
Would  they  might  waft  my  spirit  forth  to  yon  bright  shore. 


THE    UNSEALED    BOOK.  451 

Why  must  I  be  so  chained  to  earth  ?  I  long  to  rise 
Above  the  same,  to  dwell  with  beings  pure  and  wise, 
Whose  pleasure  doth  for  aye  consist  in  words  and  deeds 
Of  love  and  truth,  supplying,  daily,  wants  and  needs 

Of  those  to  whom  they  minister.     The  angel-world 
Is  filled  with  such  ;  how  sweet,  how  bright,  what  joys  untold 
Await  us  there  !     Our  life-work,  but  begins  on  earth ; 
May  it  begin  aright,  we  pray  :  the  spirit-birth 

Will  then  be  free, —  the  soul  assimilate  and  blend 

In  holy  ecstasy  of  love,  with  heart  and  mina 

Congenial  to  its  own  ;  no  misconceptions  there  ; 

No  midnight  gloom  :  The  pearl  of  truth,  so  bright  and  fair, 

Yet,  sad  to  say,  so  oft  o'erlooked  by  mortals  here. 
Will  then  shine  forth  so  radiant,  so  bright,  so  clear, 
No  counterfeit  can  be  produced  to  take  its  place, 
Or  for  one  moment  dim  the  beauty  of  its  face. 

My  angel-guides,  O,  where  are  they?  I  see  them  not, 
Nor  do  I  sense  their  presence  near ;  is  there  no  spot 
Where  I  may  trace,  in  visions  bright,  their  silent  aid  ? 
Is  there  a  purpose  in  this  melancholy  hid  ? 

Must  I  through  suffering  obtain,  what  to  the  world 
I  give  in  song  ?  is  there  no  other  Avay  to  gild 
Our  earth-life,  and  fit  us  for  a  heavenly  one? 
INIethinks  I  hear  thee  gently  say.  Behold  my  Son  I 

My  gracious  God  !  forgive,  I  pray,  these  munnurings  ; 
'Tis  meet  for  me  that  I  should  have  these  wandcrinirs. 
Else,  how  could  I  true  sympathy  and  love  bestow 
On  poor,  forsaken  ones  below  ?     Father,  I  bow 

Submissive  'neath  thy  chast'ning  rod,  and  own  it  just ; 
Henceforth  may  I  smother  this  grief,  and  fii-mly  trust 


452  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

In  Him  who  did  his  dearest  Son  suffer  to  die 
Upon  the  cross  ;  for  what  indeed,  am  I,  that  He 

Should  mindful  prove  of  my  desire  ?  then  take  away 
This  spirit  of  unrest,  I  pray  !  give,  day  by  day, 
What  seemeth  best ;  help  me  to  trust  thee  for  the  rest, 
And  in  sincerity  to  own  —  God  knoweth  best. 

K  to  obtain  my  heart's  desire,  my  spirit's  food, 
The  physical  I  must  restrain  and  crucify. 
Give  strength,  I  pray,  and  patience  too,  that  so  I  may 
Go  boldly  forth — bright  chosen  ones  to  lead  the  way. 

Draw  near  me,  then,  and  let  me  feel,  as  in  the  past, 
Thy  love  is  sure,  thy  truth  it  will  forever  last ;  and 
Though  I  walk  untrodden  paths,  thou  still  art  near 
To  guide  me  through  the  wilderness,  so  dark  and  drear. 

O,  point  me  to  the  light  ahead  !  its  rays  divine 

Will  then  infuse  my  inmost  soul ;  I  will  resign 

My  all  to  thee  ;  I  would  draw  nearer, —  feel  thee  dearer 

Than  e'er  thou  hast  been  unto  me  ;  Holy  Father, — 

Send  to  me  my  dearest  ones,  for  thine  they  are — 
Yes,  thine  and  mine  !  how  sweet  the  thought,  we  all  may  share 
Thy  love  and  joy,  for  thou  hast  said.  Ye  all  are  sons. 
Forsake  not,then,  for  his  dear  sake  whose  crown  was — thorns. 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  453 


THE  LITTLE  MOTHEK. 

A  form  of  beauty  and  of  grace 

She  did  possess, 
Her  face  was  fair  to  look  upon, 
Her  hair  as  golden  as  the  sun, 
Her  lips,  from  them  you  fain  would  win 

A  holy  kiss. 

This  little  mother,  too,  was  young ; 

Nevertheless, 
An  infant  lay  upon  her  arm : 
She  pressed  it  to  her  bosom  warm 
As  if  to  shield  it  from  all  harm. 

And  to  it  bless. 

Beside  her  stood  a  sweet  young  child 

Two  summers  old  ; 
The  image  of  her  mother,  she. 
But  from  her  tender  eyes,  so  blue, 
Tears  came  flowing  copiously ; 

Her  grief  seemed  wild. 

My  heart  was  touched  ;  the  little  one 

I  twice  before 
Had  seen,  in  joyous,  happy  mood  ; 
So  innocent  she  seemed,  and  good, 
I  wondered  what  could  have  transpired, 

To  thus  unbar 

The  flood-gates  of  her  little  soul : 

What  do  you  think  ? 
I  gently  called  her  by  her  name, — 
With  outstretched  arms  to  me  she  came, 
As  if  she  thought  I  'd  save  from  harm ; 

Dear  little  Beck ! 


454  THE    UNSEALED   BOOK. 

I  soothed  her  tenderl^^,  and  asked 

What  made  her  cry  ; 
The  answer  came.     Dear  little  pet 
With  eyes  so  sad,  and  cheeks  so  wet, 
Your  lisping  tones  I  '11  ne'er  forget  I 

She  thus  did  say, — 

"  Bad  little  girls  be  all  burned  up." 

Father  divine  ! 
My  heart  g'>ows  sick  ;  this  little  lamb, 
Scarce  old  enough  to  lisp  thy  name. 
So  early  taught  her  tiny  form 

Thou  wouldst  consign 

Unto  the  fiery  flame,  if  she 

Did  aught  amiss  ! 
We  sat  before  an  open  fire, 
The  flames  arose,  leaping  higher 
Than  was  their  wont.     Poor  little  dear  ! 

I  stooped  to  kiss 

Her  burning  cheek  ;  I  longed  to  say, 

It  all  is  false. 
But  there  the  little  mother  sat, 
And  she,  I  knew,  did  from  her  heart 
Believe  her  teachings  to  be  right. 

Alas  !  alas  !  — 

The  mother,  but  a  child  herself; 

At  years  fifteen. 
The  nuptial  vow  had  been  performed. 
The  duties  of  the  wife  assumed. 
Her  fair  young  life,  alas,  entombed 

In  sorrow's  shrine  ! 

The  joys  and  pains  of  motherhood 
She  twice  had  borne, 


THE   UNSEAIiED   BOOK.  455 

When  first  the  death-angel  came  down 
And  bore  away  her  first-born  son, 
His  work  e'en  then  but  just  begun  : 
He  did  return, 

And  claim  the  little  one  as  well  — 

The  babe  so  dear. 
The  mother's  heart  seemed  bursting  now — 
Misfortune,  too,  did  them  o'erthrow, 
Their  home  to  others  soon  must  go, 

'T  was  theirs  no  more. 

A  shelter  kind,  and  loving  hearts, 

Were  found  beneath 
The  little  mother's  homestead  roof; 
Old  friends  did  vie  to  give  a  proof 
Of  sympathy.     Is  it  enough 

For  thee,  O  death  ? 

The  frail  young  mother  cried,  and  hope 

Revived  again ; 
For  now  the  time  was  drawing  near. 
To  which,  with  joy  outweighing  fear, 
Her  heart,  so  desolate  and  drear, 

Looked  to  regain 

Its  wonted  joy. —  Maternity  ! 

What  love  untold 
This  simple  word,  doth  oft  embrace  I 
Sweet  mother,  rest  a  little  space. 
And  pray  thee  for  renewed  grace 

Ere  thou  behold — 

The  comitcrpart  of  thy  past  woes  I 

For  weeks  her  babe 
Sleeps  peacefully,  except  at  times 
When  nourishment  its  body  claims, 


456  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

No  throb  of  pain  its  face  alarms, — 
Rest,  undisturbed, 

Seems  all  that  this  dear  little  one. 

Thus  far  requires. 
The  mother  watches  eagerly 
The  form  which  rests  so  languidly 
Upon  her  breast ;  so  tenderly 

She  gazes  now  — 

Her  heart  is  troubled.     Precious  babe  I 

What  dost  thou  see  ? 
His  deep  blue  eyes  he  doth  uplift : 
They  seem,  alas  !  a  sightless  gift, 
As  if  the  soul  had  gone  out  and  left 

The  door  wide  open  :  — 

Can  this  be  true  !  my  darling  blind  ? 

Little  mother, 
Thy  cup  indeed  is  filling  fast, 
2%y  sorrows  did  this  shadow  cast 
Upon  thy  habel     Thy  dream  is  past. 

He  will  never 

On  earth,  behold  his  mother's  face ; 

Her  gentle  voice 
He  soon  will  learn  to  know  right  well : 
The  months  go  by,  but  who  can  tell 
How  long?  —  Thy  cup,  indeed,  is  full. 

Dost  thou  rejoice 

O'er  prospects  which  some  would  lament  ■ 

Little  mother  ? 
Another  bud  of  promise  soon 
Will  claim  thy  tender  care,  and  win 
A  place  thy  guileless  heart  within  : 

Yes,  a  daughter 


THE   UNSEALED  BOOK.  457 

Is  folded  to  thy  heart  once  more  ; 

Unlike  the  boy, 
She  doth  possess  a  robust  frame, 
And  in  a  little  space  of  time 
Becomes  a  sunlight  in  your  home. 

Her  father's  joy, 

Her  mother's  pet,  is  she  ;  and  yet 

Thy  chief  employ 
Remains  the  same, —  to  tenderly 
Watch  o'er  and  guard  so  lovingly 
Him  who  to  thee  so  clingingly 

Denotes  his  joy. 

His  sweet  young  life  has  been  of  late 

So  fraught  with  pain. 

No  voice  but  thine  could  soothe  to  rest ; 

His  tiny  hands  oft  thee  caress, 
As  if  to  say,  I  love  thee  best, 

Dear  mother  mine  ! 

Sweet  babe  !  thou  soon  wilt  be  released 

From  suffering. 
Thy  spirit  pure  in  spotless  robes 
Will  soon  be  clothed  ;  thy  sightless  orbs 
And  clayey  form  where  nought  disturbs 

Lie  mouldering. 

Not  so  thy  soul ;  it  shall  ere  long 

In  beauty  bloom, — 
Thy  spirit-birth  to  thee  unfold 
Visions  of  light ;  pleasures  untold 
Await  thee  there  ;  thou  shalt  behold 

No  midnight  gloom, — 

But  brightness  shall  illume  thy  path. 
So  dark  below. 


458  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

Little  mother,  we  chide  thee  not  I 
Our  Jesus  wept,  and  it  is  meet 
That  for  thy  precious  babe  so  sweet 
Thy  tears  should  flow  : 

He  hath  to  thee,  full  well  we  know, 

Been  doubly  dear. 
Because  of  his  infirmity 
Which  claimed  thy  heartfelt  sympathy, 
Combined  with  love  pure  and  holy. 

Angels  hover  near 

To  comfort  thee,  as  tenderly 

Thou  dost  prepare 
For  its  last  home  the  waxen  form 
So  beautiful.     No  chill  earth-storm 
Shall  with  conscious  pain  alarm 

Those  features  more. 

Then  fold  the  little  hands  to  rest, 

Stricken  mother ; 
Brush  from  the  forehead  broad  and  full. 
The  sunny  hair,  and  lay  each  curl 
Adown  upon  the  snowy  pall ; 

Then  bring  hither 

Fresh  flowers,  most  delicate  and  rare  ; 

Scatter  the  same. 
E'en  now  his  spirit  hovers  near 
And  views  the  scene  ;  his  vision  clear 
Beholds  the  tender,  drooping  flower. 

Music  sublime 

Floats  from  the  angel-choir  above 

And  fills  the  air  ; 
Weep  ye  not  for  the  dead,  mother. 
His  anguish  and  pain  are  over ; 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  459 

Angels  of  light,  pure  and  tender, 
For  him  will  care. 

Now,  reader  kind,  I  have  given 

The  history, — 
At  least  so  far  as  I  it  knew, — 
Of  that  dear  little  mother  who 
Gave  to  her  child,  innocently, —  * 

Unconsciously, — 

That  false  and  cruel  conception 

Of  Deity. 
From  my  heart  went  forth  a  burdened  sigh, 
A  prayer  that  heaven  might  grace  supply 
To  help  unveil  the  mother's  eye, 

And  finally 

The  truth  be  written  on  that  brow, 

Divinely  fair, 
Fresh  powers  of  comprehension  given 
To  trace  the  light  and  joy  of  heaven 
Within  herself,  and  God's  own  leaven 

Working  there, — 

Fill  all  her  being  with  his  love, 

Changeless  ever 
As  the  luminous  firmament, 
Pure  and  bright  as  the  rainbow  tint 
Which  deepens  when  the  storm  is  spent. 

Holy  Father  1 

If  thus  Thy  love  her  bosom  fill, 

Her  soul  is  saved  ; 
No  place  remains  for  death  and  hell ; 
'T  is  with  herself  and  children  well ; 
No  more  will  she  the  darlings  tell, 

Heaven's  path  is  paved 


460  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

With  babes  whose  souls  have  been  "  burned  up ; " 

Nay,  much  rather, 
Herself  become  like  to  a  child, — 
Tread  the  pathway  of  Him  who  said, 
Of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  God. 

Fair  young  mother, 

Our  prayer  for  thee  is,  that  thy  life 

Be  full  of  light. 
Teach  thou,  in  love,  this  to  thy  babes, — 
Fear  not,  little  fiock;  for  it  is 
Your  Father^s  good  pleasure  to  give 

You  the  kingdom 


ALONE. 


"  Then  lead  me,  for  O,  I  am  lonelyl 
And  love  me,  for  I  am  thine  only: 
Yes,  Great  One  and  True  One !  thine  only, 
And  with  Thee  am  never  alone." 

I  oft,  alas,  do  feel  alone,  yea,  all  alone,  so  far  from  those  I 
dearly  love ;  I  feel  like  Noah's  weary  dove,  that  soared  the  earth 
around,  but  not  a  resting  place  above  the  waters  found. 

My  life  of  late  seems  not  mine  own :  I  'm  tossed  about  hither 
and  yon ;  't  is  well  the  earth  is  round ;  if  flat,  I  might  come  to  the 
end  some  day,  and  fall,  somewhere,  anywhere,  who  would  care  ? 

Would  not  somebody  say,  "  Well  there,  I  've  wished  it  long  ago, 
'tis  all  because  of  that  hallucinated  brain;  I've  warned  her  of t, 
't  was  of  no  use,  she  had  her  way,  and  now,  alas,  she  bears  alone 
the  pain." 

Yes,  friends,  I  truly  bear  alone,  heartache  and  pain,  although 
instead  of  falling  lower,  I  feel  myself  rising  higher,  above  this 
earthly  plane. 

I  know  it  is  no  fault  of  yours,  for,  as  you  say,  you  would  have 
kept  me  still  with  you,  had  you  known  precisely  how,  also  pos- 
sessed the  power. 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK  461 

But  here  I  am ;  the  world  is  round,  and  large  enough  for  you 
and  me,  though  wide  apart;  and  if  the  language  of  your  heart 
remains  the  same,  in  truth  't  is  better  thus. 

The  past  only  a  vision  bright  has  been,  which  soon-  will  fade 
away ;  though  for  a  time  't  will  dim  the  sky,  obscure  the  heavenly 
light  which  radiated  us  between,  and  seemed  to  cast  a  "sunbeam 
glancing  o'er  life's  tears ;  " 

Tears  caused  by  sorrows  of  past  years,  deeply  drifted  in  my 
heart.  If  this  be  all,  and  I  henceforth  alone  must  tread  the 
weary  walk  of  life  below,  — 

No  friends,  save  those  who  dwell  on  high,  and  strive  my  soul 
to  guide ;  I  pray  that  I  may  patience  have  to  "  bide  my  time," 
till  1  with  them  shall  be  at  rest. 

If  these  love  not  the  best,  they  surely,  unlike  some,  are  not 
afraid  their  love  to  show  in  its  true  light:  not  that  I  would  my 
friends  rebuke,  for  I  have  been,  still  am,  so  weak  ; 

I  pray,  and  strive,  and  fight,  and  ofttimes  feel  the  mastery  o'er 
self  I  ne'er  shall  gain,  or  selfish  deeds  and  aims  uproot  ;  if  angels 
pure  did  not  assist,  a  blotted  page  sadly  defaced  my  life  would 
show. 

Mine  earthly  friends,  methinks,  would  number  less  than  in  the 
days  of  yore;  and  why?  "When  a  mortal  has  dared  to  be  wise, 
and  seize  upon  truth  as  the  soul's  '  Magna  Charta,'  he  always  has 
won  from  the  lovers  of  lies,  the  name  of  a  fool,  or  the  fate  of  a 
martyr." 

I  doubt  not  you,  my  friends,  will  think  me  too  severe;  I  may 
be  BO,  God  grant  I  am,  for  your  dear  sakes  as  well  as  mine ;  may 
you  what  I  endure,  and  have  in  life  passed  through,  never  be 
made  to  feel,  unless  it  be  the  only  way  to  separate  the  false  and 
true; 

May  God  more  gently  deal  with  thee  and  thine,  the  dross  cast 
out,  the  gold  refine,  without  the  seething,  burning  flame,  which 
has  been  deemed  in  former  time  the  best  way,  the  divine. 

Methinks  the  world  make  a  mistake  in  saying  this,  and  do 
what  they  've  oft  done  before, —  the  sins  which  lie  at  their  own 
door,  palm  off  on  Him  who  is  above  being  tempted  of  evil,  nei- 
ther temptcth  he  any  man. 

Would  he  plead  against  me  with  his  great  power?  No;  but 
he  would  put  strength  in  me.    Do  I  need  that  strength  ?    Yes ; 


462  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

every  clay  I  need  thee,  0  my  God :  make  haste  to  help  me,  and 
draw  me  nearer,  Lord,  to  thee. 

Like  Job,  I  feel  to  say :  "  Behold,  I  go  forward,  but  he  is  not 
there;  and  backward,  but  I  cannot  perceive  him;  on  the  left 
hand,  where  he  doth  work,  but  I  cannot  behold  him ; 

He  hideth  himself  on  the  right  hand,  that  I  cannot  see  him ; 
but  he  knoweth  the  way  that  I  take ;  when  he  hath  tried  me,  I 
shall  come  forth  as  gold.  My  foot  hath  held  his  steps,  his  way 
have  I  kept,  and  not  declined. 

Neither  have  I  gone  back  from  the  commandment  of  his  lips; 
I  have  esteemed  the  words  of  his  mouth,  more  than  my  necessary 
food.  But  he  is  in  one  mind,  and  who  can  turn  him?  and  what 
his  soul  desireth,  even  that  he  doeth." 

For  he  performeth  the  thing  that  is  appointed  for  me :  and 
many  such  things  are  with  him.  He  doth  for  me  care,  I  have 
therefore  learned,  — 

"  When  days  are  dark,  and  friends  are  few,  on  him  to  lean 
who,  not  in  vain,  experienced  every  human  pain :  He  feels  my 
griefs,  He  sees  my  fears,  and  counts  and  treasures  up  my  tears." 

I  will  henceforth  trust  him  ever ;  for,  "  Shall  mortal  man  be 
more  just  than  his  God?  shall  man  be  more  pure  than  his 
Maker?" 

My  friends,  think  not  my  grief  is  for  myself  alone;  it  is  for 
thee  as  well,  yea,  more,  I  do  in  truth  believe ;  you  are  by  me,  as 
in  days  agone,  cherished  fondly,  loved  most  truly. 

I  oft  have  felt,  when  in  your  presence  dear,  ''Thou  art  so  near, 
and  yet  so  far."  How  is  it  now  ?  thou  art  so  far  ;  and  would  to 
God  I  here  might  add,  And  yet  so  near,  in  heart,  in  soul,  and 
spirit  dear;  'twould  cheer  me  on  the  road. 

But  no,  such  bliss  seems  not  for  me  on  this  side  heaven,  for  I 
am  far,  yea,  very  far  from  all  that  I  on  earth  hold  dear. 

Do  I,  then,  for  this  mourn  ?  Not  for  the  distance  as  measured 
hj  miles  or  days,  this,  I  could  bear  without  repining;  but  now, 
my  cup  is  overflowing,  my  sky  a  murky  haze. 

As  a  dream  when  one  awaketh,  so.  Lord,  am  L  I  thought  ere 
this,  my  friends,  some  of  them  at  least,  would  search  with  me 
these  hidden  mysteries  ;  not  so,  and  I  am  waiting,  waiting  still. 

"I  call  to  remembrance  my  song  in  the  night:  I  commune 
with  mine  own  heart."  Hath  God  forgotten  to  be  gracious? 
Nay,  precious  in  his  sight  are  you,  my  companions  and  friends ; 


THE   UNSEALED  BOOK.  463 

then  taste  and  see  that  the  Lord  is  good:  delay  not,  the  longer 
you  do  idly  wait,  the  harder  to  get  free. 

Then  say  not  thou  within  thyself,  Yet  a  little  more  sleep,  a  lit- 
tle more  slumber,  a  little  folding  of  the  hands  to  sleep.  Awake, 
thine  eyelids  ope,  and  view  the  broad  expanse  of  heaven  so  beau- 
tiful ! 

The  sunlight  fair  adorns  the  same,  yet  not  for  one  alone  it 
came ;  for  you,  for  me,  for  all  who  place  themselves  within  its 
realm,  its  light  goes  forth ;  come,  feel  the  warmth  its  rays  can 
give,  — 

Thy  spirits  pure  no  longer  grieve  with  errors  taught  in  youth. 
*'  We  do  not  ask  for  forms  and  creeds,  or  useless  dogmas,  old  or 
new,  but  we  do  ask  for  christian  deeds,  with  man's  progression 
full  in  view. 

Both  in  your  church  and  in  your  state,  more  of  life  and  less  of 
fashion,  more  of  love  and  less  of  passion,  that  will  make  you 
good  and  just." 

Like  David,  I  can  truly  say,  for  you,  my  dear  ones.  My  heart 
and  my  flesh  faileth :  but  God  is  the  strength  of  my  heart,  and 
my  portion  forever. 

But  vain,  dear  Lord,  would  be  my  words  if  I  should  ask, 
Whom  have  I  in  heaven  but  Thee  ?  or  say,  There  is  none  upon 
earth  that  I  desire  beside  Thee. 

For  I  know  in  heaven  many  dear  ones  are  waiting  for  me,  yet 
working  while  they  wait,  tenderly  guiding  souls  aright,  the  way 
of  life  teaching. 

And  on  earth,  my  God,  are  those  that  "  I  desire  beside  Thee ; " 
In  thy  sight  it  cannot  be  wrong,  for  mine  are  thine,  and  thine 
are  mine,  all  subject  to  thy  law. 

Stay  yourselves,  and  wonder ;  cry  ye  out,  and  cry,  for  the  Lord 
hath  poured  out  upon  you  the  spirit  of  deep  sleep,  and  hath 
closed  your  eyes.  It  Avon't  be  long,  the  time  is  drawing  very  near 
•when  they  also  that  erred  in  spirit  shall  come  to  understanding 
and  thou  shalt  weep  no  more. 

He  will  be  very  gracious  unto  thee  at  the  voice  of  thy  cry; 
when  he  shall  hear  it,  he  will  answer  thee,  and  though  the  Lord 
give  you  the  bread  of  adversity,  and  the  water  of  affliction,  yet 
shall  not  thy  teachers  be  removed  into  a  corner  any  more. 

But  thine  etjes  shall  see  thy  teachers :  and  thine  ears  shall  hear 


464  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

a  word  heliind  thee,  saying,  Tliis  is  the  way,  walk  ye  in  it,  when 
ye  turn  to  the  right  hand,  and  when  ye  turn  to  the  left. 

Moreover  the  light  of  the  moon  shall  be  as  the  light  of  the 
sun,  and  the  light  of  the  sun  shall  be  sevenfold,  as  the  light  of 
seven  days.  Shall  these  words  fall  like  dew  upon  the  souls  I 
fain  would  bless  ? 

And  shall  they,  like  the  morning  dew,  as  quickly  disappear,  or 
will  they  point  some  living  one  to  fairer  regions  in  the  sky  ?  I 
still  will  work,  and  patiently  will  wait: 

The  dew  is  not  without  its  uses,  too ;  it  gives  a  freshness  to  the 
fields,  whose  verdure  doth  depend  on  it,  until  the  rain  and  gen- 
tle showers  shall  deeper  moisture  give. 

Shall  I,  then,  despise  the  day  of  small  things  ?  Nay,  although 
I  may  not  yet  enter,  I  had  rather  be  a  door-keeper  in  the  house 
of  my  God,  than  to  dwell  in  the  tents  of  wickedness. 

For  with  Thee  is  the  fountain  of  life :  in  thy  light  shall  we  see 
light;  thou  us  hast  made,  a  little  lower  than  the  angels.  If  only 
a  little  lower,  shall  we  not  strive  to  rise  higher,  be  the  willing 
pupils  of  those  who  dwell  in  regions  fair,  in  homes  eternal  ? 

The  words  of  the  Lord  are  pure  words :  as  silver  tried  in  a  fur- 
nace of  earth,  purified  seven  times.  How  many  times  shall  I, 
dear  Lord,  pass  through  the  fire,  to  be  by  Thee,  sufficiently  tried ; 
and  shall  my  soul  be  purified  and  breathe  the  nether  air  ? 

Metliinks  seventy  times  seven  refining  fires  do  scarce  suffice 
for  some  of  us.  Thou  hast  showed  thy  people  hard  things :  thou 
hast  made  us  to  drink  the  wine  of  astonishment. 

Not  that  we  murmur  at  the  Lord,  for  we  know,  if  the  iron  be 
blunt,  and  he  doth  not  whet  the  edge,  then  must  he  put  to  more 
strength. 

My  heart.  Lord,  is  dull  of  understanding,  my  eyes  see  not  with 
quick  clearness :  Long  ago  had  I  fainted,  unless  I  had  believed  to 
see  the  goodness  of  the  Lord  in  the  land  of  the  living. 

Wait  on  the  Lord ;  be  of  good  courage,  and  he  shall  strengthen 
thine  heart :  wait,  I  say,  on  the  Lord.  But  as  for  me,  my  feet 
were  almost  gone  ;  my  steps  had  well-nigh  slipped,  and  I  said,  0, 
that  I  had  wings  like  a  dove  !  for  then  would  I  fiy  away,  and  be 
at  rest. 

Lo,  then  would  I  wander  far  off,  and  remain  in  the  wilderness. 
I  would  hasten  my  escape  from  the  windy  storm  and  tempest. 
.  Do  I  blame  thee,  do  I  chide  thee,  friends  beloved  ?    Nay,  I 


THE    UNSEALED    BOOK.  405 

blame  not,  I  chide  not  any,  though  I  pass  through  sorrows  deep, 
have  trials  many;  for  God  maketh  my  heart  soft. 

May  what  I  here  suffer  be  for  his  glory:  though  piercing  thorns 
my  flesh  may  tear,  the  "  crown  of  thorns  "  I  ne'er  shall  wear. 
Times  were  when  I,  from  day  to  day,  scarce  knew  how  I  should 
sup,  with  whom  should  dine,  my  purse  so  little  did  contain ; 

I  ate  most  sparingly,  yet  dwelling  upon  the  Psalmist's  words : 
I  have  been  young,  and  now  am  old;  yet  have  I  not  seen  the 
righteous  forsaken,  nor  his  seed  begging  bread. 

A  little  that  a  righteous  man  hath  is  better  than  the  riches  of 
many  wicked.  Rest  in  the  Lord,  and  wait  patiently  for  him ; 
fret  not  thyself. 

Who  runs  may  read,  and  many  here  will  doubtless  say,  "We 
■would  have  helped  you  willingly."  If  I  were  hungry  1  would  not 
tell  thee.     Do  any  ask  why  ? 

Because  they  know  not,  neither  will  they  understand :  some 
will  blame,  other  some  will  chide ;  one  say  shame,  another,  false 
pride  ;  but  who  shall  countermand  ? 

Suffer  me  that  I  may  speak;  and  after  that  I  have  spoken, 
mock  on.  As  for  me,  is  my  complaint  to  men?  Is  not  God 
in  the  height  of  heaven  ? 

And  behold  the  light  of  the  stars,  how  high  they  are!  and, 
thou  sayest,  how  doth  God  know  ?  Can  he  judge  through  the 
dark  cloud  ?  Acquaint  now  thyself  with  him  and  be  at  peace  :■ 
thereby  good  shall  come  unto  thee. 

Thou  shalt  also  decree  a  thing,  and  it  shall  be  established  unto 
thee  !  and  the  light  shall  shine  upon  thy  ways.  When  men  are 
cast  down,  then  thou  shalt  say,  There  is  lifting  up  ;  and  he  shall 
save  the  humble  person. 

He  shall  deliver  the  island  of  the  innocent ;  and  it  is  delivered' 
by  the  pureness  of  thine  hands.  Hear  this,  all  ye  people  ;  give 
ear,  all  ye  inhabitants  of  the  world:  Both  low  and  high,  rich  and. 
poor,  together,  for  he  is  no  respecter  of  persons. 

The  Lord  shall  count  when  he  writeth  up  the  people.  Mercy 
and  truth  are  met  together;  righteousness  and  peace  have>  kissed 
each  other;  truth  shall  spring  out  of  the  earth;  and  righteous- 
ness shall  look  down  from  heaven. 

Friends,  I  ask  you  now  to  consider  with  me  the  words  of  onC' 
whom  you  have  been  taught  from  youth  to  believe  was  the  most 


466  •  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

patient  man  the  earth  ever  knew.    Had  he  much,  think  you,  to 
contend  with  ? 

Do  you  surmise  that  he  did  all  this  suffering  forego,  pass 
through,  to  prepare  him  to  teach  this  lesson  of  patience  unto 
generations  yet  unborn  ? 

Persons  are  often  said  to  possess  the  patience  of  Job,  in  fact, 
it  is  a  household  by-word,  and  repeatedly  used  by  those  who  knoAv 
not  what  they  say.  Not  long  ago  I  heard  of  a  book  entitled, 
"  The  Sixteen  Crucified  Saviours  :  " 

The  work  I  have  not  seen,  and  know  nought  of  it  except  its 
name,  but  the  thought  occurred  to  me,  that  if  sixteen  Saviours 
had  been  known,  Job  must  surely  have  been  one. 

What  do  his  sufferings  teach  us,  humanity  to  bless^  or  curse  ? 
Himself  hath  told ;  read,  I  will  teach  you  by  the  hand  of  God : 
that  which  is  with  the  Almighty  will  I  not  conceal.  Behold  all 
ye  yourselves  have  seen  it ;  why  then  are  ye  thus  altogether  vain  ? 

I  delivered  the  poor  that  cried,  and  the  fatherless,  and  him 
that  had  none  to  help  him ;  I  caused  the  widow's  heart  to  sing 
for  joy.     I  put  on  righteousness,  and  it  clothed  me. 

My  judgment  Avas  as  a  robe  and  a  diadem.  I  was  eyes  to  the 
blind,  and  feet  was  I  to  the  lame.  I  was  a  father  to  the  poor, 
and  the  cause  which  I  knew  not  I  searched  out. 

Be  it  known  that  this  was  in  the  days  of  Job's  prosperity,  or, 
as  he  expresses  it.  When  the  Almighty  was  yet  with  me,  when 
his  candle  shined  upon  my  head,  and  when  by  his  light  I  walked 
througli  darkness. 

Then  I  said,  I  shall  die  in  my  nest,  and  I  shall  multiply  my 
days  as  the  sand.  My  root  was  spread  out  by  the  waters,  and  the 
dew  lay  all  night  upon  my  branch. 

My  glory  was  fresh  in  me,  and  my  bow  was  renewed  in  mv 
hand.  Unto  me  men  gave  ear  and  waited,  and  kept  silence  at 
my  counsel ;  after  my  words  they  spake  not  again  ; 

And  my  speech  dropped  upon  them.  And  they  waited  for  me 
as  for  the  rain  ;  and  they  opened  their  mouth  wide  as  for  the  lat- 
ter rain. 

If  I  laughed  on  them,  they  believed  it  not;  and  the  light  <■ 
my  countenance  they  cast  not  down.    I  chose  out  their  way,  and 
gat  chief,  and  dwelt  as  a  king  in  the  army,  as  one  that  comforteth 
the  mourners. 

The  young  men  saw  me,  and  hid  themselves;   and  the  aged 


THE    UXSEALED   BOOK.  467 

arose,  and  stood  up.     The  princes  refrained  talking,  and  laid 
their  hand  on  their  mouth. 

The  nobles  held  their  peace,  and  their  tongue  cleaved  to  the 
roof  of  their  mouth.  When  the  ear  heard  me,  then  it  blessed  me ; 
and  when  the  eye  saw  me,  it  gave  witness  to  me.  The  stranger 
did  not  lodge  in  the  street;  but  I  opened  my  doors  to  the  trav- 
eller. 

Do  you  behold,  my  friends,  any  praiseworthy  deeds  in  the  life 
of  him  whom  God  scourged  ?  was  he  scourged  because  of  good 
deeds  ?     Nay,  rather  because  of  men's  needs. 

I  verily  believe  he  endured,  in  God's  way,  his  full  measure  of 
pain  and  woe,  as  much  as  did  He,  the  Life,  the  Truth,  the  Way. 

I  fear  we  give  not  Job  the  honour  due  ;  one  thing  I  fear  we  do 
forget,  which  is,  when  he  was  so  beset  by  high  and  low,  and  per- 
formed those  noble  deeds  of  charity,  'twas  at  a  time  when  he 
possessed  both  wealth  and  honour,  and  we  know  how  hard  it  is, 
has  ever  been,  for  these  same  rich  ones  to  enter  the  kingdom  of 
love,  or  to  acknowledge  a  brother  as  such,  whose  station  in  life  is, 
in  worldly  respects,  lower  than  his. 

For  us,  we  would  sooner  look  for  sympathy  and  help  in  time  of 
need,  from  those  below  us  in  station  and  wealth ;  this  we  say  from 
actual  experience,  having  proved  its  truth. 

And  here  let  me  say,  if  you  should  e'er  seek  aid  in  behalf  of 
some  worthy,  charitable  object,  avoid  the  rich.  He,  who  his  daily 
bread  earns  by  the  "  sweat  of  his  brow,"  Avill  give  twice  as  much, 
and  with  a  more  willing  heart;  the  rich  may  give  —  a  look  — 
which  hurts  a  sensitive  spirit. 

But  wc  will  not  leave  Job,  as  did  his  friends  of  old  when  ad- 
versity came  upon  him.  These  friends  if  such  we  may  call  them, 
left  him  out  in  the  cold  :  read  what  he  saith. 

But  now  they  that  are  younger  than  me  have  me  in  dcri=io;i : 
they  were  children  of  fools,  yea,  children  of  base  men;  tliey  wire 
viler  than  the  earth. 

And  now  am  I  their  song,  yea,  I  am  their  byword  ;  they  abhor  me, 
they  flee  far  froin  me,  and  spare  not  to  spit  in  my  face.  Because 
he  hath  loosed  my  cord  and  afflicted  me,  they  have  also  let  loose 
the  bridle  before  me,  they  push  away  my  foot,  they  mar  my  path. 

And  the  thing  which  I  knew  not  I  searched  out.  Friend,  go 
thou  and  do  likewise;  some  things  will  doubtless  you  surprise  if 
you  once  get  afloat,  but  never  mind,  you  will  sec  what  you  do  see. 


468  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

There  is  a  path  which  uo  fowl  knoweth,  and  bread  cometh  out 
of  the  earth,  but  when  shall  wisdom  be  found  ?  and  where  is  the 
place  of  understanding  ? 

Man  knoweth  not  the  price  thereof;  neither  is  it  found  in  the 
land  of  the  living.  The  depth  saith,  it  is  not  in  me  :  and  the  sea 
saith,  it  is  not  with  me :  it  cannot  be  gotten  for  gold,  neither 
shall  silver  be  weighed  for  the  price  therof. 

It  cannot  be  valued  with  the  Gold  of  Ophir,  with  the  precious 
onyx,  or  the  sapphire.  The  gold  and  the  crystal  cannot  equal  it : 
and  the  exchange  of  it  shall  not  be  for  jewels  of  fine  gold. 

No  mention  shall  be  made  of  coral,  or  of  pearls ;  for  the  price 
of  wisdom  is  above  rubies :  the  topaz  of  Ethiopia  shall  not  equal 
it,  neither  shall  it  be  valued  with  pure  gold. 

Whence  then  cometh  wisdom  ?  seeing  it  is  hid  from  the  eyes  of 
all  living,  and  kept  close  from  the  fowls  of  the  air. 

God  understandeth  the  way  thereof,  and  he  knoweth  the  place 
thereof.  For  he  looketh  to  the  ends  of  the  earth,  and  seeth  un- 
der the  whole  heaven  ;  and  he  weigheth  the  waters  by  measure. 

When  he  made  a  decree  for  the  rain,  and  a  Avay  for  the  light- 
ning of  the  thunder :  then  did  he  see  it,  and  declare  it ;  he  pre- 
pared it,  yea,  and  searched  it  out. 

And  unto  man  he  said,  Behold,  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  that  is 
wisdom ;  and  to  depart  from  evil  is  understanding.  Amen  and 
amen. 

We  feel  that  aught  which  we  can  say,  can  add  little  weight  to 
these  truths,  self-evident  to  all  of  wise  intent. 

To  some  they  come  in  youth,  others  must  wait  for  riper  years; 
those  who  receive  on  earth  a  taste,  have  much  to  learn  when  they 
go  hence :  Many  here  mourn  an  idle  misspent  youth. 

If  we  should  speak  only  of  things  pleasing  to  you,  our  mission 
would  not  be  complete;  we  seek  not  to  mislead,  but  keeping  the 
trath  in  view  give  full  assurance  that  all  who  in  sincerity  inquire, 
and  seek  true  wisdom  from  above,  shall  not  in  vain  aspire,  their 
hearts  shall  be  grounded  in  love  to  do  the  thing  which  good  is. 

But  I  grieve  to  say  there  are  those  that  rebel  against  the  light; 
they  know  not  the  ways  thereof,  nor  abide  in  the  path  thereof. 

The  murderer,  rising  with  the  light,  killeth  the  poor  and  needy, 
and  in  the  night  is  as  a  thief.  The  eye  also  of  the  adulterer  wait- 
eth  for  the  twilight,  saying,  No  eye  shall  see  me :  and  disguiseth 
his  face. 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  469 

In  the  dark  they  dig  through  houses,  which  they  had  marked 
for  themselves  in  the  daytime:  they  know  not  the  light;  for  the 
morning  is  to  them  even  as  the  shadow  of  death.  If  one  know 
them,  they  are  in  the  terrors  of  the  shadow  of  death. 

He  draweth  also  the  mighty  with  his  power:  he  riseth  up,  and 
no  man  is  sure  of  life ;  lo  these  are  parts  of  his  ways : 

God  forbid  tliat  I  should  justify  :  till  I  die  I  will  not  remove 
mine  integrity  from  me.  This  is  the  portion  of  a  wicked  man 
with  God,  and  the  heritage  of  oppressors,  which  they  shall  re- 
ceive of  the  Almighty. 

If  his  children  be  multiplied,  it  is  for  the  sword:  and  his  off- 
spring shall  not  be  satisfied  with  bread.  Those  that  remain  of 
him  shall  be  buried  in  death  :  and  his  widows  shall  not  weep. 

Though  he  heap  up  silver  as  the  dust,  and  prepare  raiment  as 
the  clay;  he  may  prepare  it,  but  the  just  shall  put  it  on,  and  the 
innocent  shall  divide  the  silver. 

He  buildeth  his  house  as  a  moth,  and  as  a  booth  that  the  pau- 
per makcth  ;  the  rich  man  shall  lie  down,  but  he  shall  not  be 
gathered  :  he  openeth  his  eyes  and  he  is  not. 

Terrors  take  hold  on  him  as  waters,  a  tempest  steals  him  away 
in  the  night.  The  east  wind  carrieth  him  away  and  ho  de}nirt- 
eth:  and  as  a  storm  hunteth  him  out  of  his  place. 

For  God  shall  cast  upon  him,  and  not  spare :  he  would  fain 
flee  out  of  his  hand.  Men  shall  clap  their  hands  at  him,  and 
shall  hiss  him  out  of  his  place. 

We  would  here  a  few  suggestions  make  to  the  "rich,"  or  rather, 
would  of  them  inquire,  why  it  is  that  in  the  Scriptures  we  inva- 
riably find  the  rich,  coupled  with  the  unjust,  and  with  the  wicked? 

Can  ye  not  come  out  from  among  them,  and  be  ye  separate  ? 
May  God  in  his  infinite  mercy  hell)  and  deliver  you  ! 

Although  we  have  gleaned  much  wisdom,  understanding,  and 
good  counsel,  from  patient  Job,  we  find  that,  in  the  siglit  of  God, 
even  he  was  not  '•  all  clean." 

In  the  anguish  of  his  spirit,  his  soul  was  filled  with  contempt 
for —  we  had  almost  said  God  and  man.  Unto  God  he  made  his 
complaint,  and  said,  Did  not  I  weep  for  him  that  was  in  trouble  ? 
was  not  my  soul  grieved  for  the  poor? 

When  I  looked  for  good,  then  evil  came  unto  me:  and  when  I 
waited  for  light,  then  came  darkness:  I  went  mourning  without 
the  sun ; 


470  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

I  stood  up  and  I  cried  in  the  congregation.  My  liarp  is  tuned 
to  mourning,  and  my  organ  into  the  voice  of  them  that  weep.  I 
cry,  and  thou  dost  not  hear  me ;  thou  art  become  cruel  to  me. 

If  I  have  hfted  up  my  hand  against  the  fatherless,  when  I  saw 
myself  in  tlie  gate,  —  then  let  mine  arm  fall  from  my  shoulder- 
blade,  if  I  have  made  gold  my  hope,  or  have  said  to  fine  gold, 
Thou  art  my  confidence. 

If  I  rejoiced  because  my  wealth  was  great,  and  because  mine 
hand  had  gotten  much ;  If  I  beheld  the  sun  when  it  shined,  or 
the  moon  walking  in  brightness ;  and  my  heart  hath  been  sweetly 
enticed,  or  my  mouth  hath  kissed  my  hand: 

This  also  were  an  iniquity  to  be  punished  by  the  judge :  for 
I  should  have  denied  the  God  that  is  above. 

If  I  covered  my  transgressions  as  Adam,  by  hiding  mine  iniq- 
uity in  my  bosom  :  Did  I  fear  a  great  multitude  ? 

0,  that  one  would  hear  me  !  behold,  my  desire  is,  that  the  Al 
mighty  would  answer  me,  and  that  mine  adversary  had  written  a 
book. 

(Right  here  let  us  say  to  friends  and  foes.  If  we  had  a  desire  to 
retaliate,  the  most  satisfactory  way  of  doing  so  would  be,  that 
they  might  write  a  book,  and  subject  it  and  the  author  to  the 
criticisms  of —  everybody.) 

Surely,  I  would  take  it  upon  my  shoulder,  and  bind  it  as  a 
crown  to  me.  I  would  declare  unto  him  the  number  of  my  steps ; 
us  a  friend  would  I  go  near  unto  him. 

Tf  my  land  cry  against  me,  or  that  the  furrows  likewise  thereof 
complain ;  if  I  have  eaten  the  fruits  thei'eof  without  money,  or 
have  caused  the  owners  thereof  to  lose  their  lives  : 

Let  thistles  grow  instead  of  wheat,  and  cockle  instead  of  barley. 
The  words  of  Job  are  ended. 

Ended  for  a  time  only,  as  we  shall  soon  see,  although  after 
this,  his  words  were  few,  and  in  reply  to  the  Almiglity,  who  had 
heard  his  prayer. 

Some  of  our  readers  may  not  be  aware  of  the  fact,  that  Job, 
and  others  of  the  so-called  holy  men  of  old,  held  converse  with 
immortal  beings  through  earthly  mediums. 

These  mediums  are  not  easily  traced  in  scriptural  writings,  un- 
less our  minds  are  predisposed  in  that  direction,  from  the  fact, 
that  diverse  appellations  are  given  them. 

In  the  case  we  have  before  us  they  were  designated  "  friends." 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  471 

Eliphaz  the  Tcmanite,  Bildad  the  Shnhite,  and  Zophar  the  Na- 
amathite.  These  three,  according  to  the  book  of  Job,  were  con- 
sulted by  him  alternately  and  quite  frequently. 

Now  after  Job  had  ended  his  sayings,  these  three  men  ceased 
to  answer  him,  because  they  said  he  was  righteous  in  his  own  eyes. 

If  the  Almighty  had  not  heard  his  heart's  desire,  and  answered 
the  same  in  his  own  appointed  way,  who  would  have  known  the 
latter  end  of  Job  ?  we  surely  should  have  inferred  that  the  last 
state  of  that  man  was  worse  than  the  first. 

But  the  end  is  not  yet :  mysterious  are  the  ways  of  our  God,  by 
whose  agency  a  young  man,  named  Elihu,  was  sent  to  reason  with 
Job,  and  his  three  friends.  Now  this  young  man  was  filled  with 
the  spirit  within,  and  could  not  keep  silence. 

Against  Job  was  his  wrath  kindled,  because  he  justified  him- 
self rather  than  God;  also  against  his  three  friends  was  his  wrath 
kindled,  because  they  had  found  no  answer,  and  yet  had  con- 
demned Job. 

Now  Elihu  had  waited  till  Job  had  spoken,  because  they  were 
elder  than  he.  When  Elihu  saw  that  there  was  no  answer  in  the 
mouths  of  these  three  men,  then  his  wrath  was  kindled. 

He  answered  and  said,  I  am  young,  and  ye  are  old ;  wherefore 
I  was  afraid,  and  dared  not  show  you  mine  opinion.  I  said,  Days 
should  speak,  and  multitudes  of  years  should  teach  wisdom. 

But  there  is  a  spirit  in  man:  and  the  inspiration  of  the  Al- 
mighty giveth  them  understanding.  Great  men  are  not  always 
wise:  neither  do  the  aged  understand  judgment. 

Therefore  I  said,  Hearken  to  me ;  I  also  will  show  mine  opinion. 
Behold  I  waited  for  your  words;  I  gave  ear  to  your  reasons, 
while  ye  searched  out  what  to  say. 

Yea,  I  attended  unto  you,  and  behold  there  was  none  of  you 
that  answered  Job,  or  that  answered  his  words:  lest  ye  should 
say,  We  have  found  out  wisdom. 

Now  he  hath  not  directed  his  words  against  mc:  neither  will  I 
answer  him  with  your  speeches.  They  were  amazed,  they  an- 
swered no  more,  they  left  off  speaking. 

When  I  had  waited,  (for  they  spake  not)  I  said,  I  will  answer 
also  my  part,  I  also  will  show  mine  opinion,  for  I  am  full  of  mat- 
ter; the  s])irit  within  me  coustraineth  me,  —  I  will  speak,  that  I 
may  be  refreshed. 

Wherefore,  Job,  I  pray  thee,  hear  my  speeches,  and  hearken  to 


472  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

all  my  words.  Behold,  I  am  according  to  thy  wish,  in  God's 
stead :  I  also  am  formed  out  of  the  clay. 

Behold,  my  terror  shall  not  make  thee  afraid,  neither  shall  my 
hand  be  heavy  npon  thee  :  surely  thou  hast  spoken  in  mine  hear- 
ing, and  I  have  heard  the  voice  of  thy  words,  saying, 

I  am  clean,  without  transgression,  I  am  innocent ;  neither  is 
there  iniquity  in  me.  Beliold,  He  findeth  occasion  against  me; 
he  counteth  me  for  his  enemy ;  he  putteth  my  feet  in  the  stocks, 
he  maketh  all  my  paths. 

Behold,  in  this  thou  art  just ;  I  will  answer  thee,  that  God  is 
greater  than  man.  Why  dost  thou  strive  against  him?  for  he 
giveth  not  account  of  any  of  his  matters. 

For  God  speaketh  once,  yea  twice,  yet  man  perceiveth  it  not. 
In  a  dream,  in  a  vision  of  the  night,  when  deep  sleep  falleth  upon 
men,  in  slumberings  upon  their  bed ;  then  he  openeth  the  ears 
of  men  and  sealeth  their  instrnction,  that  he  may  withdraw  man 
from  his  purpose,  and  hide  pride  from  man. 

If  there  be  a  messenger  with  him,  an  interpreter,  one  among  a 
thousand,  to  show  unto  man  his  uprightness :  then  he  is  gracious 
unto  him.  He  looketh  unto  men,  and  if  any  say,  I  have  sinned, 
and  perverted  that  which  was  right,  and  it  profited  me  not;  he 
will  deliver  his  soul  from  going  into  the  pit,  and  his  life  shall  see 
the  light. 

Lo,  all  these  things  worketh  God  oftentimes  with  man,  to  bring 
his  soul  from  the  pit,  to  be  enlightened  with  the  light  of  the  liv- 
ing. 

Mark  well,  0  Job !  hearken  unto  me :  Is  it  fit  to  say  to  a  king, 
Thou  art  wicked,  and  to  princes.  Ye  are  ungodly  ?  much  less  to 
him  that  accepteth  not  the  person  of  princes,  nor  regardeth  the 
rich  more  than  the  p6or;  for  they  are  all  the  work  of  his  hands. 

In  a  moment  shall  they  die,  and  the  people  shall  be  troubled 
at  midnight,  and  pass  away:  and  the  mighty  shall  be  taken  away 
without  hand.  For  his  eyes  are  upon  the  ways  of  man,  and  he 
seeth  all  his  goings. 

There  is  no  darkness,  no  shadow  of  death,  where  the  workers 
of  iniquity  may  hide  themselves.  For  He  will  not  lay  upon  man 
more  than  right ; 

For  the  work  of  a  man  shall  He  render  unto  him,  and  cause 
every  man  to  find  according  to  his  ways.     Surely  it  is  meet  to  be 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  473 

said  unto  God,  I  have  borne  chastisement,  I  will  not  offend  any 
more : 

That  which  I  see  not,  teach  thou  me :  if  I  have  done  iniquity, 
I  will  do  no  more. 

Should  it  be  according  to  thy  mind  ?  He  will  recompense  it, 
whether  thou  refuse,  or  Avhether  thou  choose ;  and  not  I. 

Elihu  spake,  moreover,  and  said,  Thinkest  thou  this  to  be 
right,  that  thou  saidst,  My  righteousness  is  more  than  God's  ?  for 
thou  saidst,  What  will  it  be  unto  thee  ?  and,  what  profit  shall  I 
have,  if  I  be  cleansed  from  my  sin  ? 

I  will  answer  thee  and  thy  companions  with  thee.  Look  unto 
the  heavens  and  see :  and  behold  the  clouds  which  are  higher 
than  thou. 

If  thou  sinnest,  what  doest  thou  against  him  ?  or  if  thy  trans- 
gressions be  multipled,  what  doest  thou  unto  him?  If  thou  be 
righteous,  what  givest  thou  him  ?  or  what  receiveth  he  of  thine 
hand? 

Thy  wickedness  may  hurt  a  man  as  thou  art ;  and  thy  right- 
eousness may  profit  the  son  of  man.  By  reason  of  the  multi- 
tude of  oppressions  they  make  the  oppressed  to  cry  ;  they  cry  out 
by  reason  of  the  arm  of  the  mighty. 

But  none  saith.  Where  is  God  my  maker,  who  giveth  songs  in 
the  night ;  who  teachcth  us  more  than  the  beasts  of  the  earth, 
and  maketh  us  wiser  than  the  fowls  of  heaven  ? 

Then  they  cry,  but  none  giveth  answer,  because  of  the  pride  of 
evil  men ;  surely  God  will  not  hear  vanity,  neither  will  the  Al- 
mighty regard  it. 

Therefore  doth  Job  open  his  mouth  in  vain;  he  multiplieth 
words  without  knowledge. 

Elihu  also  proceeded,  and  said,  Suffer  me  a  little,  and  I  will 
show  thee  that  I  have  yet  to  speak  on  God's  behalf,  for  truly  mv 
words  shall  not  be  false:  he  that  is  perfect  in  knowledge  is  with 
thee. 

Behold,  God  is  mighty,  and  despiseth  not  any;  he  is  mighty  in 
strength  and  wisdom;  he  preserveth  not  the  life  of  the  wicked : 
but  giveth  right  to  the  poor. 

lie  withdrawcth  not  his  eyes  from  the  righteous:  he  dclivereth 
the  poor  in  his  affliction,  and  openeth  their  ears  in  oppression. 
Even  60  would  we  have  removed  thee  out  of  the  straight  into 


474  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

a  broad  place,  where  is  no  straightness ;  and  that  which  be  set  on 
thy  table  should  be  full  of  fatness. 

But  thou  hast  fulfilled  the  judgment  of  the  wicked:  Judgment 
and  Justice  take  hold  on  thee.  Will  he  esteem  thy  riches  ?  No, 
not  gold  nor  all  the  forces  of  strength. 

Behold,  God  exalteth  by  his  power :  who  teacheth  like  him  ? 
God  is  great,  and  we  know  him  not,  neither  can  the  number  of 
his  years  be  searched  out. 

God  thundereth  marvellously  with  his  voice ;  great  things  doeth 
he,  which  we  cannot  comprehend;  for  he  saith  to  the  snow,  Be 
thou  on  the  earth  ; 

Likewise  to  the  small  rain,  and  to  the  great  rain  of  his  strength. 
He  sealeth  up  the  hand  of  every  man,  that  all  men  may  know 
his  work. 

Then  the  beasts  go  into  dens,  and  remain  in  their  places.  Out 
of  the  south  cometh  the  whirlwind :  and  cold  out  of  the  north. 
By  the  breath  of  God  frost  is  given :  and  the  breadth  of  the  wa- 
ters is  straightened. 

Also  by  watering,  he  wearieth  the  thick  cloud:  he  scattereth 
his  bright  cloud,  and  it  is  turned  about  by  his  counsels,  that  they 
may  do  whatsoever  he  commandeth  them  upon  the  face  of  the 
world  in  the  earth. 

He  causeth  it  to  come,  whether  for  correction,  or  for  his  land, 
or  for  mercy.  Hearken  unto  this,  0  Job :  stand  still,  and  con- 
sider the  wondrous  works  of  God. 

Friends,  we  have  here  given  but  a  few,  of  the  many  words 
which  Elihu  spake,  for  Job  and  his  companions'  sake.  What  we 
have  given,  wilt  thou  also  consider,  and  see  if  ye  find  not  therein 
more  perfect  wisdom,  and  higher  knowledge,  than  had  been  be- 
fore vouchsafed  him,  even  through  his  three  elder  "friends." 

This  young  man,  who,  from  his  speech,  we  should  infer,  was 
but  lightly  esteemed  by  Job,  because  of  Lris  youth  and  inexperi- 
ence, was  moved  by  the  spirit  to  speak  in  the  name  of  the  Lord, 
or,  as  he  said,  in  God's  stead. 

We  can  only  Judge  of  the  effect  produced  upon  those  who 
hearkened  unto  him  from  his  own  words,  as  no  reply  was  vouch- 
safed him  from  Job,  or  from  his  friends. 

As  his  inspiration  ends,  a  still  greater  mystery  awaits  us;  for 
we  read  that  the  Lord  himself  speaks  to  Job  out  of  the  whirlwind. 
Would  you  know  his  words,  read  Job,  chapters  xsxviii  to  xlii. 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  475 

These  chapters  four  so  much  contain,  so  many  truths  reveal, 
we  have  it  not  in  our  hearts  to  disannul,  by  giving  only  portions 
of  the  same;  but  for  the  benefit  of  those  who  take  not  the  time  to 
peruse  more,  we  will  give  the  commencement  subhme  :  also,  Job's 
reply  unto  the  Lord. 

Then  the  Lord  answered  Job  out  of  the  whirlwind,  and  said, 
Who  is  this  that  darkeneth  counsel  by  words  without  knowledge  ? 
Gird  up  now  thy  loins  like  a  man:  for  I  will  demand  of  thee, 
and  answer  thou  me. 

Where  wast  thou  when  I  laid  the  foundations  of  the  earth  ? 
declare  if  thou  hast  understanding.  Who  hath  laid  the  measure 
thereof,  if  thou  knowest  ?  or  who  hath  stretched  the  line  upon  it  ? 

Whereupon  are  the  foundations  thereof  fastened  ?  or  who  laid 
the  corner-stone  thereof,  when  the  morning  stars  sang  together, 
and  all  the  sons  of  God  shouted  for  joy? 

Hath  the  rain  a  father?  or  who  hath  begotten  the  drops  of 
dew  ?  out  of  whose  womb  came  the  ice  ?  and  the  hoary  frost  of 
heaven,  who  hath  gendered  it  ? 

The  waters  are  hid  as  with  a  stone,  and  the  face  of  the  deep  is 
frozen.  Canst  thou  bind  the  sweet  influences  of  the  Pleiades,  or 
loose  the  bands  of  Orion  ? 

Shall  he  that  contendeth  with  the  Almighty,  instruct  him?  he 
that  reproveth  God,  let  him  answer  it. 

Then  Job  answered  the  Lord,  and  said,  Behold,  I  am  vile ; 
what  shall  I  answer  thee?  I  will  lay  mine  hand  upon  my  mouth. 
Once  have  I  spoken  :  but  I  will  not  answer;  yea,  twice,  but  I  will 
proceed  no  further. 

What  have  we  here  ?  hath  Job  forgotten  his  desire  ?  Did  he 
expect  the  Almighty  would  take  him  at  his  word  and  deign  to 
answer?     Job  refrained  from  replying  to  the  Lord. 

Then  answered  the  Lord  unto  Job  out  of  the  whirlwind,  and 
said.  Gird  up  thy  loins  now  like  a  man :  I  will  demand  of  thee, 
and  declare  thou  unto  me. 

Wilt  thou  also  disannul  my  judgment?  wilt  thou  condemn  me, 
that  thou  mavest  be  righteous  ?  hast  thou  an  arm  like  God? 

Thus  did  the  Lord  show  forth  his  own  great  power  and  might, 
until  sublimity  itself  seemed  lost  in  wonder ;  a  belief  in  the  same, 
a  giddy  height  reaching  beyond  the  frail  conception  of  man. 

The  heavens  may  declare  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  but  who  upon 
earth  is  equal  thereto  ?    No  wonder  that  Job  did  humble  himself 


476  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

before  his  God,  who  did  thus  condescend  the  very  clouds  of 
heaven  to  rend,  showing  his  mighty  power. 

Then  Job  answered  the  Lord,  and  said,  I  know  that  thou  canst 
do  every  thing,  and  that  no  thought  can  be  withholden  from  thee. 
Who  is  he  that  hideth  counsel  without  knowledge  ?  therefore 
have  I  uttered  that  I  understood  not :  things  too  wonderful  for 
me,  which  I  knew  not. 

Hear,  I  beseech  thee,  and  I  will  speak :  I  will  demand  of  thee, 
and  declare  thou  unto  me.  I  have  heard  of  thee  by  the  hearing 
of  the  ear  :  but  now  mine  eye  seeth  thee ;  wherefore  I  abhor  my- 
self, and  repent  in  dust  and  ashes. 

And  it  was  so,  that  after  the  Lord  had  spoken  these  words 
unto  Job,  the  Lord  said  to  Elipliaz  the  Temanite,  my  wrath  is 
kindled  against  thee,  and  against  thy  two  friends  :  for  ye  have 
not  spoken  of  me  the  thing  that  is  right,  as  my  servant  Job  hath. 

How  wondrously  deep  and  wise  are  these  teachings !  The 
friends  upon  whose  counsel  Job  most  depended,  it  seems  were 
not  adapted  to  inspire  his  soul  with  the  wisdom  and  understand- 
ing he  needed,  and  which  might  be  summed  up  in  two  words  — 
Know  thyself. 

We  have  here,  plain  evidence  that  length  of  days  and  multiplic- 
ity of  years,  does  not  always  secure  to  man  the  greatest  amount 
of  wisdom ;  the  youth  in  this  case,  rendering  more  perfect  knowl- 
edge. 

No  word  of  rebuke  received  he  from  his  Master,  while  his  el- 
ders were  charged  with  cruel  slanders  against  God.  A  reprieve 
however,  is  granted  them,  through  the  intercession  of  Job.  We 
are  not  informed  whether,  like  him,  they  received  blessings  two- 
fold, and  lived  to  a  good  old  age. 

And  the  Lord  turned  the  captivity  of  Job,  when  he  prayed  for 
his  friends ;  also  the  Lord  gave  Job  twice  as  much  as  he  had  be- 
fore. Then  came  unto  him  all  his  brethren,  and  all  his  sisters, 
and  all  they  that  had  been  of  his  acquaintance  before,  and  did 
eat  bread  with  him  in  his  house. 

And  they  bemoaned  him,  and  comforted  him  over  all  the  evil 
that  the  Lord  had  brought  upon  him ;  every  man  also  gave  him 
a  piece  of  money,  and  every  one  an  earring  of  gold.  So  the  Lord 
blessed  the  latter  end  of  Job  more  than  his  beginning. 

Line  upon  line,  line  upon  line  —  page  after  page,  page  after 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  477 

page  —  have  here  been  penned,  when  I,  in  truth,  did  not  intend 
loneliness  to  thus  assuage. 

I  little  realized  myself,  how  patient  Job  had  been  pursued  by 
fears  within,  and  foes  without:  he  must  be  clean,  and  wear  a 
spotless  robe ;  I  'm  sure  he  doth  deserve  the  same. 

I  wonder  why  the  best  of  men  have  been,  still  are,  abused  and 
tantalized  by  fellow-men.  I  oft  have  tried  to  reason  out  and 
solve  the  i)roblem  in  my  mind  ;  at  times  I  do  get  on  quite  well, 
and  some  things  truthfully  divine. 

But  then,  the  world  is  round,  my  friends  seem  not  inclined  to 
travel  on  with  me.  Must  I  go  forward  all  alone,  traverse  each 
country  in  its  turn :  and  from  each  one,  maybe,  a  fresh  experi- 
ence gain  ?     What  good  will  come  of  it  ? 

If  no  one  but  myself  can  be  benefited  thereby,  then*  give  me 
peace  and  rest :  yet  how  shall  this  even  be  done  ?  can  I  go  back  ? 

A  spirit  dear  says,  Nay,  'tis  useless  quite  for  you  to  try ;  if  yon 
do  courage  lack,  come  boldly  to  the  throne  of  grace,  plead  for 
thyself,  plead  for  thy  loving  ones  as  well,  be  not 'discouraged  ! 

Thy  friends,  while  grieving  o'er  thy  poor,  hallucinated  brain, 
have  hearts  still  warm  with  love  for  thee  :  then  chide  them  not: 
speak  kindly,  deal  gently,  cherish  lovingly  thy  friends,  thine  own, 
who  ne'er  will  thee  forget. 

Think  not  thou  art,  and  ever  must  be,  all  alone :  thou  hast  on 
earth  many,  who  would  gladly  their  arms  about  thee  fold,  and 
soothe  with  gentle  tone  thy  weary  soul. 

They  cannot  all  thy  sorrows  know,  like  us  who  are  to  thee 
more  near,  although  by  them  considered  far.  Angels  pure  attend 
thee,  and  call  thee  from  earth  away — earth's  cares  I  mean. 

You  could  not  do  our  heavenly  work,  while  minist'ring  unto 
thy  friends;  beside,  thou  hast  thine  own  life  to  nourish,  and 
guard  well  for  Ilim  who  gave  it  thee: 

A  boon  we  know  thou  didst  not  crave,  he  did  bestow.  And 
thou,  dear  one,  in  time  shall  learn  to  prize  what  thou  hast  oft  in 
days  agone  considered  but  a  burden  sore. 

'Tis  not  so  now,  and  nevermore  shult  thou  thyself  resign  to 
days  and  weeks  of  melancholy,  as  heretofore;  not  that  we  chide 
thee,  for  this  also  did  thy  soul  need  to  pass  through,  fitting  for 
its  future. 

^  0  angels  bright !  0  angels  fair !  may  I  for  aye  in  thee  confide, 


478  THE    UNSEALED   BOOK. 

live  near  unto ;  in  all  the  years  wliich  come  and  go,  may  Truth 
and  Love  combine  to  draw  me  nearer  heaven  and  thee. 

May  love  divine  most  graciously  fill  all  my  soul,  for  then  I  '11 
never,  never  feel  —  no  —  not  all  alone. 


HOME  AT  LAST. 

Yes,  Father  dear,  I'm  home  at  last ;  thy  loving  arm 
Hath  me  upheld ;  dangers  arose,  and  doubts  and  fears 

My  weary  spirit  did  oppress  ;  but,  safe  from  harm, 

Once  more  I  rest,  nor  water  now  my  couch  with  tears ; 
Disquietude  gives  place  to  peace. 

Amid  the  din  of  city  life  I  found  not  this  ; 

My  heart  rebelled  ;  in  agony  I  cried  to  thee  ; 
I  begged  my  guides  to  lead  the  way  to  some  lone  place 

Where  I  could  rest  from  toil  and  strife,  and  also  see 
My  home  made  bright  through  them,  by  thee. 

My  prayers  did  not  ascend  in  vain  :  thy  gracious  ear 
Was  open  to  my  mournful  cry ;  and  thou  didst  send 

An  angel  bright,  who  did  for  me  unbar  the  door, 
And  bid  depart  unto  a  distant,  foreign  land, — 
My  home,  the  while,  the  deep  blue  sea. 

My  course  was  toward  the  "  sunny  South  ; "  my  feeble  powers, 
They  said,  would  there  recuperate  ;  my  failing  strength 

Would  be  renewed  ;  I  should,  at  times,  see  lonely  hours  : 
My  heart  would  yearn  for  those  I  loved  :  I  should  at  length 
Keturn  unto  my  native  land. 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  479 

The  sky  was  bright,  the  sea  was  calm,  wheD  I  launched  forth 
Upon  its  broad  expanse  alone, —  to  earthly  eyes, — 

Yet  not  alone  :  my  dear  ones,  who  by  spirit-birth 
Have  soared  aloft,  beheld  me  from  their  natal  skies, 
And  made  their  homo  within  my  soul. 

At  length  there  came  a  fearful  storm  :  for  days  and  nights 
The  tempest-toss'd  lay  sick  and  faint,  afar  from  land, 

"Rocked  in  the  cradle  of  the  deep."     The  sweet  delights 
Of  sailing  on  the  calm,  blue  sea,  were  at  an  end, — 
Lost  in  the  mighty,  raging  deep. 

Then  "Peace,  be  still,"  the  Master  said,  and  forthwith  came 
A  sweet  repose  o'er  land  and  sea.     We  anchored  safe  : 

No  one  was  lost  of  all  the  crew.     Be  it  our  aim 

To  fear  no  danger, —  trust  in  Thee,  who  will  through  life 
Our  home  decree,  where  thou  seest  fit. 

O,  what  a  change  do  we  behold  !  bright,  sunny  skies 

In  place  of  winter's  chilly  blast ;  sweet,  blooming  flowers 

Their  fragrance  shed  !     We  gaze  around  in  glad  surprise, 
For,  surely,  here  we,  for  a  time,  'mid  friendly  bowers 
A  home  may  find, —  kind  friends  may  win. 

If  we  unto  ourselves  are  true,  striving  to  do 
Unto  all  others  as  we  would  that  they  in  turn 

Should  do  to  us.     We  feel,  we  know,  we  then  shall  be 
Upheld  and  guided  by  tliy  love,  from  thee  shall  learn 
'T  is  home  wherever  duty  calls. 

Then  mny  each  trial  we  endure,  our  souls  refine 
And  purify.     Our  spirit-vision,  too,  unfold, — 

That  we  may  see  the  light  ahead, —  no  more  repine 

At  thy  commands,  who  first  did  form,  who  still  wilt  mould 
Our  life  and  character  aright. 


480  THE    UNSEALED   BOOK. 

If  here  thou  hast  a  work  for  us, —  with  heartfelt  zeal 
We  still  will  strive  to  walk  by  faith,  if  not  by  sight: 

Thiue  own  unerring  judgment  w^ill  more  kindly  deal 

With  us  and  ours,  though  clouds  of  grief  and  sorrow's  night 
At  times  prevail,  we  trust  thee  still. 

Enough  to  say.  We  wait  on  time,  with  heaven's  own 
Sunshine  in  our  heart,  rejoicing  in  the  faith  sublime, 

That  those  who  love  can  never  part,  and,  wheresoe'er 
The  soul  may  dwell,  that  God  will  order  all  things  well, 
And  guide  us  to  our  home  on  high. 


WHAT  I  LOVE  MOST. 

I  love  the  merry,  merry  sunshine, 

With  all  that 's  gay  and  bright  and  fair ; 

No  stormy  seas  for  me  and  mine, 

But  joyous,  happy,  free  from  care, — 


We'd  roam  through  forest,  field,  and  plain, 
Seeking  for  treasures  rich  and  rare, 

'Neath  woodland  shade  and  mountain  glen, 
Where  pure  and  fresh  and  free  the  air. 

I  love  the  little  ])irds  that  sing 

And  warble  forth  their  Maker's  praise 

As  upward  they  soar  on  joyful  wing. 
Tuning  their  sweetest  roundelays. 

The  tender  little  flow'rets,  too, 

Which  sweetly  scent  the  morning  air, 

As,  sprinkled  o'er  with  heavenly  dew. 
They  send  forth  fragrance  rich  and  rare. 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  481 

I  love  my  dear  and  happy  home, 
My  kind  and  loving  friends  so  true  ; 

Not  far  from  these  I  'd  wish  to  roam, 
Unless  by  duty  called  to  go. 

I  love  my  quiet,  sunny  room  ; 

Its  many  gathered  treasures  there 
Recall  to  mind  my  dearest  ones, 

'VYho  wait  for  me  "just  over  there." 

The  little  children,  full  of  glee, 

With  hearts  so  tender,  warm,  and  true, 

Come  clust'ring  round  about  my  knee. 
And  often  murmur,  "  I  love  you  ;  " 

And  then  their  pouting,  rosy  lips 

To  mine  they  raise  for  one  sweet  kiss  : 

I  love  their  merry,  prattling  ways. 
Nor  would  I  miss  their  fond  caress. 

But  dearer  far  than  all  the  rest 

Are  loving  spirits  gone  before, 
Whose  kind  return,  at  our  behest, 

Oft  us  instruct  in  sacred  lore, — 

Teaching  the  way  of  life  to  find. 

And  truth  eternal  to  embrace  ; 
Their  light  has  on  our  darkness  shined, 

And  soon  we  '11  see  them  face  to  face. 

This  is  an  idle  tale,  you  say, 

Some  fancy  wild,  or  vision  fair, 
Which  soon  will  crumljle  quite  away, 

And  vanish  into  empty  air. 

Dear  friends,  I  have  no  wish  to  chide  ; 
The  time  will  come,  I  full  well  know, 


482  THE   UNSEALED  BOOK. 

When  in  these  truths  you  '11  too  confide, 
For  the  angels  tell  me  so. 

The  question  I  '11  not  argue  here, 

For  words,  I  know,  would  not  avail, 

But  strive,  by  deeds  and  actions  pure, 
Though  tempest-tossed  by  many  a  gale, 

To  raise  my  beacon-light  so  high, 
While  sailing  o'er  life's  troubled  sea. 

That  those  who  pass  me  coldly  by. 
The  light  may  see,  and  danger  flee. 


WORDS  OF  LOVE. 

How  few,  o'er  all  this  wide,  wide  earth. 
Have  learned  to  comprehend  the  worth 
Of  loving  words  we  all  might  give  ; 
And  more  like  Jesus  then  we  'd  live. 

His  kindly  deeds,  his  words  of  love. 
Are  proof  to  us  that  God  above, 
A  mission  gave  him  to  fulfil, 
And  thus  make  known  his  sacred  will. 

Then,  if  we  do  his  counsels  heed, 
And  follow  on  where  he  doth  lead, 
The  labors  of  our  hfe  shall  prove 
We,  too,  have  felt  the  power  of  love. 

Though  gold  and  silver  we  have  none, 
Kind  words,  we  know,  are  all  our  own ; 
More  precious,  too,  we  feel  they  are 
Than  rubies  bright,  or  pearls  so  fair. 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  483 

They  fall  like  gentle  ev'ning  dew, 
If  from  a  heart  that's  warm  and  true, 
And  oft  they  cheer  the  sorrowing  one 
Whose  pathway  here  is  sad  and  lone. 

When  pain  and  anguish  rack  our  frame, 
And  life  seems  but  a  troubled  dream, 
How  sweet  the  voice  of  tender  love, 
Murm'riug  softly,  There  's  rest  above  I 

We  hear  the  sweet  and  silv'ry  tone. 
And  feel  ourselves  not  all  alone, 
For  kind  and  loving  friends  are  near, 
To  wipe  away  the  falling  tear. 

K  we  in  sunny  childhood's  hour 
Are  taught  the  wondrous,  holy  power 
Of  gentle  words  and  loving  deeds. 
Our  hearts  are  sown  with  heavenly  seeds. 

Which,  scattered  wide  o'er  many  a  field. 
Shall  fragrant  flowers  immortal  yield. 
Whose  sweetest  incense,  wafted  high. 
Shall  draw  us  upward  to  the  sky. 

Th«  child  whose  young  and  tender  mind 
Is  saddened  oft  by  words  unkind, 
Will  quick  respond,  and  glad  reply, 
«  With  cheerful  heart  and  beaming  eye. 

If  it  but  hear,  in  accents  mild, 
The  voice  of  her  whose  love  beguiled 
From  lips  so  pure  their  first  sweet  kiss, 
And  fondly  cherished  each  embrace. 

How  oft  I  've  seen  the  tear-drop  start 
From  eyes  so  blue  they  seemed  a  part 


484  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

Of  heaven's  own  azure  from  the  sky. 
Why,  ye  thoughtless  ones,  O,  why 

"Will  ye  thus  mar  the  tender  bud 
"Which  scarce  has  passed  its  babyhood? 
Yet,  tiny  as  it  may  appear, 
'T  is  not  too  young  to  see  and  hear. 

A  smile  of  thine,  a  tone  of  love, 
Calls  forth  an  answering  one  to  prove 
'T  is  all  within  the  baby's  reach, 
Though  yet  denied  the  power  of  speech. 

If  in  our  homes  we  strive  to  share 
The  burdens  we  are  called  to  bear. 
Our  homes,  like  to  the  ones  above. 
Will  teem  with  kindness,  peace,  and  love. 

In  radiance  they  will  far  outshine 
What  wealth  and  honor  can  combine  — 
If  love  and  kindness  have  no  part  — 
To  cheer  and  soothe  the  aching  heart. 

So  pure  and  gentle  may  we  be.  Lord, 
That  thoughts  of  heaven,  of  love,  and  thee, 
Our  souls  may  fill ;  and  may  we  have 
That  peace  the  world  can  never  give. 

Within  ourselves,  we  then  will  own. 
The  kingdom  of  thy  love  has  come ; 
And  as  thy  \\dll  in  heaven  is  done, 
So  may  it  be  on  earth  the  same. 

May  angels  bright,  still  guard  and  guide, 
Until  we  reach  the  other  side  ; 
And  then  conduct  us  to  our  home. 
Whence  nevermore  we  '11  wish  to  roam. 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  485 

O,  haste  the  day  when  all  the  earth 
Shall  feel  the  power,  shall  feel  the  worth 
Of  deeds  of  kindness,  words  of  love, 
As  taught  by  Him,  who  reigns  above. 


TO   AUNTIE. 


Yea,  in  this  dreary  wilderness, 

Where  all  seems  dark,  and  lone,  and  sad, 
There  comes  a  light  within  thy  soul 

Which  bids  thy  heart  once  more  be  glad. 
'T  is  not  for  us  to  stay  the  tide 

Of  life's  tempestuous,  angry  sea, 
As  o'er  the  dashing  waves  you  ride, 

And  vainly  strive  the  storm  to  flee. 

Another  mission  still  is  ours. 

Which  gives  us  pleasure  to  fulfil : 
It  is  to  cheer,  to  bless,  to  guide. 

Directing  how  to  shun  the  ill. 
We  see  thy  worn  and  anxious  face. 

We  know  thy  heart  is  often  sad  ; 
But  life  nor  death  can  e'er  efface 

The  inbred  truth  which  makes  thee  glad. 

We  know  that  trials  will  beMl, 

As  through  life's  tangled  maze  you  tread, 
'T  is  not  the  fate  of  one,  but  all 

Must  stem  the  tide  they  so  much  dread. 
We  sorrow  not  like  those  below, 

Whose  feeble  vision  fails  to  prove 
The  depth  of  wisdom,  power,  and  love 

Bestowed  on  man  by  God  above. 


486  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

For  in  this  bright  and  happy  land, 

"We  look  beyond  the  flight  of  time, 
Assured  that  all  in  our  lov'd  band 

Sweet  fields  of  beauty  yet  shall  roam. 
Then  upward  raise  thy  drooping  lids, 

Bid  cares  depart,  and  never  fear. 
For  in  the  future,  calm,  serene, 

A  light  for  thee  shines  bright  and  clear. 


SOFT  AND  LOW. 

O,  list  ye  to  the  gentle  breeze 
As,  softly  sighing  through  the  trees. 
It  wafts  its  fragrance  as  it  goes 
Lulling  thee  to  sweet  repose. 

O,  lov'st  thou  not  the  woodland  air. 
When  skies  are  bright,  and  fields  are  fair  I 
And  seems  it  not  a  hallo w'd  place, 
As  God  in  nature  here  we  trace  ? 

The  babbling  brook,  the  quiet  dell, 

Both  cast  around  a  soothing  spell, 

While  birds  which  hop  from  bough  to  bough, 

Are  sweetly  singing — soft  and  low  : 

The  little  flowers  beneath  our  feet. 
So  shy  and  modest,  yet  so,  sweet. 
Do  lift  their  tiny  heads  and  cry  — 
O,  crush  us  not  as  you  pass  by, — 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  487 

But  stoop  and  cull  our  fairest  ones, 
And  take  unto  your  loving  homes  ; 
We  will  repay  your  tender  care, 
Distilling  fragrance  rich  and  rare. 

I  love  to  sit  me  down  and  think. 
Beside  the  river's  mossy  brink. 
Whose  pearly  water's  ceaseless  flow 
Is  ever  murm'ring,  soft  and  low. 

A  holy  calm  pervades  my  breast  — 
Sweet  foretaste  of  the  heavenly  rest. 
Though  oft  I  've  bowed  beneath  the  rod, 
I  know  it  was  the  will  of  God. 

Yet  at  the  time  't  was  hard  to  trace 
The  workings  of  his  truth  and  grace ; 
My  heart  was  filled  with  calm  despair : 
I  heeded  not  his  tender  care. 

But,  brooding  o'er  my  trials  sore. 
Shut  close  my  heart  and  barred  the  door. 
But  lo  !  a  glim'ring  light  I  see. 
And  voices  whisper,  'T  is  for  thee. 

I  saw  this  feeble,  flick'ring  ray 

Increase  in  brightness  day  by  day ; 

My  fears  dispersed,  my  hopes  gi'ew  bright ; 

I  prayed  my  God  to  give  me  light  ; 

The  angels  quickly  caught  the  strain. 
Then  soft  and  low  their  sweet  refrain 
Is  wafted  from  ethereal  skies. 
Re-echoing  their  glad  replies. 

My  softened  heart  is  all  aglow. 
To  know  the  angels  love  me  so  : 


488  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

A  sister,  brothers,  friends  most  dear, 
I  fondly  loved  and  cherished  here, 

Do  all  with  one  consent  unite 
To  guide  me  in  the  path  of  right ; 
While  brighter  yet,  and  still  more  bright 
Steals  o'er  my  soul  a  glorious  light. 

Then  'neath  the  summer  sky,  so  fair, 
I  '11  raise  mine  eyes  in  silent  prayer 
To  Him  who  reigns  in  heaven  above. 
And  e'er  acknowledge  —  God  is  love. 


OUR  FATHER'S   CARE. 

As  flow'rs  their  sweetest  fragrance  shed 
O'er  all  who  come  within  their  reach, 

So  may  each  gentle  soul  be  led 

To  grasp  the  lesson  these  may  teach  ; 

For  it  is  one  we  all  may  learn, 

And  may  it  practise,  too,  each  day. 

Nor  from  the  poor  and  needy  turn, 
Who  scarce  can  find  one  cheering  ray. 

On  all  alike  the  glorious  sun 

Gives  forth  its  rays  of  beauteous  light. 
Nor  from  the  sad  and  sorrowing  one 

Withholds  its  beams,  jo  clear  and  bright. 

It  is  our  Father's  loving  care 

Which  guides  the  weary  footsteps  right, 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  489 

And  bids  us  ever  kindly  share 

The  joys  which  open  to  our  sight. 

O,  may  each  gentle  thought  of  love 

Our  wildest  passions  all  control, 
Like  music  wafted  from  above 

In  sweetest  cadence  o'er  the  soul. 

And  if  a  wider  range  of  thought 's 

Bestowed  upon  some  favored  one, 
Whose  life  with  toil  has  e'er  been  fraught 

For  others  more  than  self  alone, — 

O,  may  the  purest  joys  of  earth 

From  such  go  forth  to  bless  mankind ; 

Nor  pass  those  by  of  humble  birth, 

For  hearts  have  they,  both  warm  and  kind, 

Though  chilled,  perchance,  by  winter's  blast ; 

And  days  of  sorrow,  nights  of  pain, 
May  for  a  time  their  shadows  cast. 

Yet  summer  days  will  come  again. 

Then  let  us  ever  faithful  prove, — 

"With  others  kindly,  truly  share 
The  blessings  show'red  from  heaven  above, 

All  by  our  loving  Father's  care. 


490  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 


VISIONS   OF  THE  PAST. 

Aye,  past !  those  bright  and  happy  days 

Of  childhood's  early,  rosy  mora  ; 
Yet  back  to  thee  our  mem'ry  strays, 

Though  hushed  and  still  the  gentle  song 
Those  happy  careless  days  of  yore. 

To  heedless  sport  and  pleasure  free, 
When  close  beside  our  cottage  door, 

'T  was  only,  sister,  you  and  me. 
But  soon  another  joins  our  band  ; 

A  baby-brother  now  have  we  : 
They  say  he  came  from  baby-land. 

And  now  his  home  with  us  shall  be. 
We  sit  and  muse,  nor  can  explain 

What  unto  us  a  myst'ry  seems. 
O,  these  are  links  in  life's  long  chain, 

Realities,  beautiful  dreams. 
As  time  speeds  on,  our  band  of  three 

Its  numbers  swell,  till  now  we  're  ten : 
Our  brothers  six,  four  sisters  we, — 

All  joined  in  love  and  sympathy. 
But  time  is  ever  on  the  wing ; 

He  comes  with  soft  and  gentle  tread, 
Yet  swift  and  sure  the  message  brings, 

And  one  is  numbered  with  the  dead. 
It  is  the  sweet  and  tender  bud 

Which  last  did  join  our  earthly  band  ; 
So  pure,  so  fair,  we  would  not  call 

Thy  spirit  back  from  that  bright  land. 
We  think  of  thee  as  one  whose  soul, 

'Neath  sunny  skies  and  balmy  air, 
Where  flesh  and  sense  no  more  control. 

Will  quick  expand  in  beauties  rare. 
Again  the  angel  Death  draws  near, 

And  fills  our  souls  with  wild  despair . 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  491 

A  shiuiug  mark — our  brother  dear  I 

O,  stay  thy  hand  !  in  mercy  spare  ! 
'T  is  he  who  first  our  childish  love 

Called  forth  in  accents  pure  and  strong : 
•O,  must  we  give  him  to  the  tomb 

In  life's  fair  op'ning  morn  ? 
But  prayers  and  tears  cannot  avail ; 

Stern  death,  with  cold,  relentless  hand, 
Is  captor  now.     The  spirit  pure 

Has  winged  its  flight  to  summer  land. 
The  wheels  of  time  roll  on  apace, 

Our  joys  and  sorrows  still  combine ; 
Yet  hard  it  is  for  us  to  trace 

The  workings  of  a  love  divine. 
While  Death  hath  entered  twice  and  called 

The  fairest  ones  from  our  dear  band, 
Others  have  leit  the  homestead-roo 

And  taken  for  themselves  a  stand. 
The  eldest  brother  here  below 

Gives  heart  and  hand  in  nuptial  love, — 
The  dearest  gift  he  could  bestow, 

And  one  which  hath  its  seal  above. 
A  gentle  little  sunbeam  came 

To  cheer  and  bless  their  home  ; 
But  O,  how  short  its  pilgrimage, — 

How  soon  its  earthly  course  is  run  I 
We  watched  beside  it  day  by  day ; 

We  tried  to  soothe  by  gentle  song ; 
Yet  crushed  and  drooping,  there  it  lay 

Till  angels  came  and  called  it  home. 
O  our  Lillie,  precious  darling  1 

So  sweet,  so  pure,  so  white,  so  fair, 
O,  surely,  now,  we  must  be  dreaming ! 

But  hark  !  sweet  music  fills  the  air. 
As  underneath  the  chilling  sod 

The  lovely,  waxen  form  we  lay : 
The  gates  are  standing  all  ajar, 


492  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

And  waiting,  waiting,  angels  say, 
For  soon  another  we  shall  claim. 

'T  will  make  the  parting  less  severe, 
To  know  thy  child  has  gone  before 

And  waits  for  thee  "just  over  there." 
Not  long,  alas  !  had  she  to  wait, 

For  all  too  soon  for  friends  below 
The  summons  came.     The  pearly  gate 

Is  opened  wide,  and  voices  low 
Are  singing  soft  and  gentle  strains 

Of  welcome  to  that  peaceful  shore, 
Where  truth  and  love  triumphant  reign, 

And  sorrows  trouble  nevermore. 
We  miss  thee,  brother,  but  we  feel 

'T  is  well  with  thee  and  with  the  child  : 
But  O,  the  torn  and  bleeding  heart 

Of  her  who  cries  in  anguish  wild  ! 
"'Tis  dark,  all  dark,  and  lone  and  drear; 

The  light  of  life  for  me  has  fled  : 
Kind  friends,  I  know,  are  passing  near, 

But  oh  !  my  child  —  my  husband — dead/^* 
Thy  loved  ones,  dear,  whisper  to  thee 

And  say.  Look  up  !  we  are  not  dead. 
But  still  our  watch  and  vigil  keep 

O'er  thee,  as  through  life's  maze  you  tread. 
What  joy  and  comfort,  then,  is  ours. 

To  know  that  loved  ones  gone  before 
Come  near  and  bless  our  souls  each  day, 

And  guide  us  to  that  heavenly  shore. 
O,  may  our  hearts  be  filled  with  love. 

As  upward,  onward,  still  we  go. 
Trusting  in  Him  who  reigns  .above. 

Directs  our  pathway  here  below. 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  493 


"HE  LEADETH  I^IE." 

How  sweet  to  feel  that  God  above, 
Holy  and  just,  by  his  kind  love 
Will  gently  lead  us  all  our  days, 
And  keep  us  safe  in  wisdom's  ways. 

How  weak  and  sinful  still  are  we  ! 
How  much  we  need  the  guiding  star 
'  Which  points  us  onward,  upward  ever  — 
Turning  backward  never  —  never  ! 

Though  darkling  storms  may  gather  round. 

And  scarce  a  ray  of  light  be  found, 

'T  is  only  for  a  little  space 

The  sun  has  hid  his  glorious  face. 

And  soon  our  Father's  love  divine, 
Will  bid  its  beams  go  forth  and  shine 
In  radiant  splendor  far  more  bright, 
To  shed  its  rays  of  warmth  and  light. 

As  if  unto  our  souls  to  prove, 
'Tis  not  in  anger,  but  in  love, 
That  for  a  time  he  hides  his  face. 
To  draw  us  nearer  that  blest  place 

Where  all  is  light  and  love  and  joy ; 
Where  care  and  pain  no  more  annoy ; 
But  tranquil  seas  and  sunny  skies. 
Are  free  to  all  who  earn  the  prize. 

His  voice  is  calling,  calling  still. 
And  pleads  for  all  to  shun  the  ill : 
Unselfish  deeds  of  love  and  truth. 
Shall  blessings  bring  to  all  the  earth, — ■ 


494  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 

Though  slow  the  process  oft  may  seem, 
Its  flight  is  swifter  than  you  deem  ; 
And  not  one  precious  seed  is  lost, 
Though  hidden  'neath  the  winter's  frost. 

How  earnest,  then,  should  be  our  work  I 
O,  let  us  rise,  and  with  the  lark 
Who  joyous  sings  in  yonder  tree. 
Give  praise  to  Him  who  "leadeth  me." 

"Let  us,  while  we  read  or  study, 
Cull  a  flower  from  every  page  ; 
Here  a  line,  and  there  a  sentence, 
'Gainst  the  lonely  time  of  age  I 

At  our  work  or  by  the  wayside, 
While  we  ponder,  while  we  play, 

Let  us  thus,  by  constant  efibrt, 
Learn  a  little  every  day.'^ 


THE  LITTLE   ONES. 

God,  bless  them  all,  these  little  ones 
So  dear  and  precious  in  thy  sight ! 

They  come  to  cheer  our  hearts  and  homes. 
And  fill  our  souls  with  glad  delight. 

I  love  to  watch  the  baby  dear 

Who  sits  upon  his  mother's  knee  ; 

His  timid  eyes,  so  bright  and  clear, 
Just  for  a  moment  rest  on  me, — 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  495 

Then  turning  quick  his  little  face, 
He  nestles  close  to  mamma's  breast ; 

She  clasps  him  in  a  fond  embrace, 

And  softly  whispers,  "  Darling  blest !" 

I  love  to  watch  the  tiny  bud 

Unfold  its  leaves  in  light  of  day, 
It  makes  me  gentle,  kind  and  good. 

And  helps  to  cheer  me  on  my  way. 

I  see  the  tender  buds  expand 

So  sweetly,  gently,  one  by  one  : 
The  babe  no  longer  I  behold. 

He,  too,  has  older,  wiser  grown,— 

But  still  we  call  him  baby-boy. 

The  merry,  laughing  little  elf! 
He  joins  the  children  in  their  play. 

And  none  more  happy  than  himself. 

I  love  to  watch  them  sport  and  play, 

As  joyous,  happy,  free  from  care. 
They  bask  in  sunshine  all  the  day 

'Mid  fragrant  flowers  and  balmy  air : 

For  soon,  I  know,  the  time  will  come 
When  they  must  fight  life's  battles  too, 

And  strive  all  evil  ways  to  shun ; 
For  future  joy  err  future  woe 

Depends  upon  each  word  and  deed 

Which  marks  our  pathway  here  below ; 

For  here  we  only  sow  the  seed ; 
If  good  or  ill,  we  scarcely  know. 

0,  grant  us  wisdom  from  above. 
And  may  we  each  select  with  care, 


496  THE    UNSEALED   BOOK. 

Seeds  of  kindness,  seeds  of  love, 

And  broadcast  strew  them  everywhere. 

And  as  the  tiny  seeds  take  root. 

And  tender  shoots  come  springing  forth, 

O,  may  they  all  bear  precious  fruit, 
In  rich  abundance,  here  on  earth ; 

Then  when  we  're  called  from  earth  away, 
Bright  angels  from  a  higher  sphere 

Shall  welcome  us,  and  kindly  say, 
Thy  deeds  of  love  are  cherished  here. 

Again  we  seek  thy  love  and  care, 
And  for  ourselves  thine  aid  implore  ; 

O,  keep  us  safe  from  every  snare  — 
Uphold  us  by  thy  mighty  power, 

And  help  us  wisely  to  direct 
All  those  intrusted  to  our  care  ; 

The  little  ones  may  we  protect, 

All  these  so  young,  so  pure,  so  dear ! 

O,  may  they  early  learn  the  truth  ! 

Their  warm  and  tender  hearts  perceive 
More  quickly  in  the  spring  of  youth, 

As  simply  trusting  they  believe. 

Believe  the  tender  words  of  love 

Which  Jesus  gave  for  such  as  these  : 

His  help  and  guidance  from  above, 
O,  may  they  seek  on  bended  knees, — 

And  may  they  e'er  be  true  to  Thee  — 
The  great  All-Father  —  God  of  love. 

Whose  tender  mercies,  full  and  free. 
Shall  guide  them  to  their  home  above. 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  49^ 


DREAMING. 

We  sleep,  we  dream  !  nor  is  this  all : 

We  raise  our  weary,  drooping  lids  — 
For  what,  to  gaze  upon  the  wall  ? 

We  hear  a  soft,  low  voice,  which  bids, 
"Look  upward  still,  'tis  not  a  dream, 

But  vision  bright ;  and  angels  fair 
O'ershadow  thee,  as  calm,  serene. 

Before  thine  eyes  float  beauties  rare." 

We  hail  thee,  lov'd  ones  gone  before  ; 

Thy  gentle  presence  e'er  shall  be 
A  pure  incentive  guiding  o'er 

The  troublous  waves  of  life's  dark  sea. 
Thrice  happy  those  who  nevermore 

Shall  look  at  death  as  sev'rino:  ties 
Of  earthly  love,  and  friendship  pure 

Which  points  us  upward  to  the  skies. 

How  sweet  to  know  that  angels  bright 

And  pure  do  guard  our  way  ! 
In  silent  watches  of  the  nisrht 

Still  hold  unbounded  sway. 
E'er  pointing  upward  to  the  light, 

Which  ne'er  grows  dim,  or  knows  decay. 
But  bursts  upon  our  raptured  sight 

In  boundless  waves  of  endless  day. 

What  peace  and  comfort  then,  is  ours. 

Though  all  below  seem  dark  and  drear  : 
For  in  these  calm  and  quiet  hours 

We  feel  thy  presence  ever  near, 
To  kindly  bless  the  aching  heart ; 

To  speak  sweet  words  of  loving  cheer 
In  gentle  tones,  which  e'er  impart 

A  joy  unto  our  souls,  most  dear. 


498  THE   UNSEALED   BOOK. 


IS  IT  UPHILL  ALL  THE  WAY? 

Tell  us,  ye  bright-winged  messengers  of  love 
From  the  spheres  of  light  beyond  the  blue, 

As  our  thoughts  and  wishes  soar  above 
To  the  better  land  just  out  of  view, — 
Is  it  uphill  all  the  way  ? 

We  do  ofttiraes  feel,  in  life's  fair  mom, 
Ere  clouds  arise,  and  shadows  dim 

Earth's  visions  fair  and  heaven-bom, 

Such  joys  as  these  can  ne'er  grow  dim  ;  — 
'T  is  not  uphill  all  the  way. 

But  as  each  year  brings  more  and  more 
To  chill  the  heart  and  freeze  the  soul. 

We  long  to  reach  the  "  farther  shore," 
Where  sin  and  death  no  more  control. 
Is  it  uphill  all  the  way  ? 

We  fain  would  ask  thee  once  again, 
While  clouds  of  dark  and  deep  despair 

FiU  heart  and  soul  with  woe  and  pain ; 
We  long,  O,  we  long  to  be  there. 
Is  it  uphill  all  the  way? 

"  My  child  !  "  the  angel-voice  replies, 
"  'T  is  not  all  dark  and  lone  and  sad  : 

Why  so  tearful  —  why  those  sighs  ? 

For  much  thou  hast  to  make  thee  glad. 
Though  't  is  uphill  all  the  way  I 

We  would  not  chide  thee,  precious  child  ; 

We  know  thy  life  is  fraught  with  care, 
Thy  heart  breaks  forth  in  anguish  wild. 

Thy  bosom  heaves  with  deep  despair. 
For  H  is  uphill  all  the  way. 


THE    UNSEALED   BOOK.  499 

But  the  lesson  we  would  teach 

Is  one  of  patience,  faith,  and  hope, 
Which  shall  in  wisdom  far  outreach 

Thine  earthly  vision's  narrow  scope  ; 
Yet,  'tis  uphill  all  the  way. 

There  is  no  good  which  comes  unso^ught ; 

The  blessings  you  crave  must  all  be  earned. 
Not  with  silver  and  gold  be  bought. 

Thy  lone  spirit,  for  love  hath  yearned  ; 

Therefore,  'tis  upliill  all  the  way. 

Yet,  if  for  others,  who,  like  thee, 

Pine  from  sorrows  and  griefs  untold, 
Thy  heart  goes  out  in  loving  sympathy, 

Peace  its  wings  shall  thee  enfold. 

Though  't  is  uphill  all  the  way." 


PATIENCE. 

I  pray  Thee,  Father,  patience  give. 
And  let  me  feel  thy  presence  near ; 

O,  may  I  daily,  hourly  live  — 

Upheld  by  thy  kind,  loving  care, — 

So  pure  and  truthful,  free  from  guile, 
That  no  harsh  word  or  deed  unkind. 

Shall  chase  away  the  l)eaniing  smile, 
Or  leave  an  anxious  thouicht  behind. 


*o 


If  pain  and  sickness  be  my  lot, 
O,  may  I  patience  still  possess. 

To  kindly  soothe  some  aching  heart 
With  words  of  love  and  tenderness,- 


500  THE    UNSEALED   BOOK. 

And  may  I  feel  for  others"  woes, 
Forgetful  of  the  pains  I  bear, 

Like  Him  who  on  us  each,  bestows 
A  portion  of  his  love  and  care. 

If  when  my  eager,  thirsty  soul, 
A  higher  knowledge  to  obtain. 

Would  fain  press  onward  to  the  goal 
And  burst  asunder  ev'ry  chain, 

I  find  some  links  which  will  not  yield, 
But  hold  me  in  a  tight  embrace. 

Then  let  my  patience  be  revealed, 
Till  time  shall  bring  a  sweet  release. 

My  soul  is  longing  for  a  sight. 

Of  future  bliss  —  of  joys  supreme  ; 

Those  worlds  of  beauty,  fields  of  light. 
Our  vision  dim  can  scarce  conceive, 

So  dazzling  bright  they  seem  to  be  : 
Yet,  how  I  long  to  catch  one  gleam 

Of  my  home  beyond  the  crystal  sea. 
Ere  called  to  stem  death's  icy  stream ! 

I  know  my  loved  ones  wait  me  there, 

Though  long  and  weary  years  have  passed 

Since  I  beheld  their  forms  so  fair. 
Such  friendships  pure  must  always  last, — 

No  change  of  time,  no  change  of  place, 

Can  warm  and  true  hearts  sever. 
Nor  can  their  image  bright  efiace  ; 

'T  will  linirer  ever  —  O,  for  ever? 

'-'  It 

I'm  longing  now,  I  've  longed  before. 
To  hear  those  sweet  and  gentle  tones 


THE   UNSEALED   BOOK.  501 

Which  came  to  me,  in  days  of  you  en, 
From  lips  of  those,  my  darling  ones, 

"VYho  now  beyond  this  vale  of  tears 

Have  passed,  to  mansions  bright  and  fair, 

Prepared  for  all  His  children  dear, 
Surrounded  by  His  loving  care. 

But  if  there 's  work  for  me  to  do 

Before  I  pass  to  yon  bright  shore, 
O,  quicken  me  —  inspire  anew 

My  feeble  frame  !  and  grant  me  more 

Of  heavenly  wisdom,  zeal  and  power  ! 

More  patience,  too,  wilt  thou  impart, 
And  may  I  ever,  from  this  hour. 

Do  good,  and  trust  with  all  my  heart. 

One  favor  more  I  'd  ask  of  thee. 

As  now  I  feel  thy  presence  near ; 
Lighten  mine  eyes,  that  I  may  see  ! 

My  pathway  make  so  plain  and  clear, 

That  I  may  wander  nevermore 

From  wisdom's  sweet  and  holy  ways  : 

More  bold  and  fearless  than  before, 
I  then  will  tread  life's  thorny  maze ; 

In  patience,  too,  1  '11  calmly  wait. 

And  strive  my  mission  to  fulfill ; 
I'll  gladly  work  for  thy  dear  sake, 

Fulfilling  all  tliy  blessed  will. 

I  know  that  all  1  have  is  thine  : 

O,  may  1  ever  faithful  prove, 
Kejoiciug  if  one  deed  of  mine 

Be  worthy  to  record  above. 


502  THE   UNSEAIiED   BOOK. 


THE  HEAVENLY   CITY. 

There's  a  city  above,  not  made  with  hands, 

Its  gates  are  of  crystal,  and  open  wide  ; 
For  all  His  dear  children  in  far-away  lands, 

The  kind,  loving  Father,  will  ever  provide. 
Not  one  so  polluted  and  hardened  in  sin. 

But  deep  in  his  heart  —  though  unheeded,  maybe, 
There's  a  still,  small  voice,  ever  -vvhisp'ring  low 

To  its  own  guardian  spirits.  Come  in,  come  in ! 
O,  then,  in  the  quiet  of  eventide, 

When  the  air,  the  earth,  and  the  skies  are  still, 
May  we  seek  for  heavenly  counsel,  to  guide, 

And  to  teach  us  thy  blessed  and  holy  will. 
May  our  dear  spirit-friends,  in  these  calm  hours. 

Give  wisdom  from  the  fount  of  life  above. 
Which,  like  gentle  dews  distill'd  on  flowers. 

Shall  freshen  our  souls,  make  purer  our  love. 
And  then,  kind  Father  of  all  below, 

Still  nearer  to  thee  may  we  daily  come  ; 
Our  desires  reaching  far  from  earth  away. 

May  we  seek  to  learn  of  the  far  brighter  home. 
And  may  the  dear  frieuds  whom  we  love  on  earth. 

All  with  us  unite  to  bless  mankind. 
And  to  help  each  erring,  sin-burden'd  heart. 

The  life,  the  way,  and  the  truth  to  find. 
May  we,  while  on  earth,  ever  strive  to  live 

The  life  of  the  righteous  ;  then,  freed  from  sin. 
We  shall,  by  our  deeds  and  labors,  prove 

That  the  love  of  our  God  doth  dwell  within. 


4es 


UNIVERSITY  ot  CALIFOKWIA 

AT 

LOS  ANGELES 
T.TRRARY 


3  1158  01053  9186 


'fiffiilBl7^'^'°^^^  LIBRARY  FACILITY 

AA    000  506  357    3 


